Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act

Temporary judge appointments for immigrants

If enacted, the Attorney General would be allowed to appoint temporary immigration judges for renewable 6-month terms. Appointees could come from five groups: former Board of Immigration Appeals or appellate immigration judges; former immigration judges; EOIR administrative law judges (current or retired); administrative law judges at other federal agencies with at least 10 years of immigration-law experience and written agency consent; and Department of Justice attorneys with at least 10 years of immigration-law experience. Temporary judges could serve up to four consecutive 6-month terms (2 years) and could not be reappointed to this temporary role until at least 3 years after reaching that limit. The Attorney General, with the Chief and Regional Chief Immigration Judges, would set caseloads, oversee performance, and require training: generally at least 8 weeks of initial training and at least 1 day of training every 2 weeks, with a narrow exemption for recent former appellate or immigration judges. Subject to those rules, temporary judges would have the same authority as immigration judges to decide assigned cases and manage immigration court matters.