In Memoriam: Juan Osuna: A Life Well-Lived But Cut Too Short

By Stephen Yale-Loehr^*

Death felled a giant of immigration law and policy last week when Juan P. Osuna, age 54, died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack. Juan worked for seventeen years as a senior immigration legal advisor in the Justice Department for both Democratic and Republican administrations. Juan had recently resigned as director of the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review and was contemplating the next chapter of his remarkable life when he passed away.

Juan was an immigrant from Colombia, and his career is an immigrant success story. I hired Juan in 1988 while he was a law student to summarize federal immigration decisions for Interpreter Releases, a weekly immigration newsletter. When Juan graduated he joined the Interpreter Releases staff as assistant editor. After I left DC to practice immigration law and teach at Cornell, Juan became managing editor. We both worked with the legendary Maury Roberts, former chair of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

Juan's government service began in 2000 as a BIA member. He rose rapidly through the ranks at the Justice Department, serving at various times as BIA board chair, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and Associate Deputy Attorney General in charge of immigration policy and other issues. He was a frequent public speaker and testified several times before Congress about the immigration court system.

Juan worked on some of the most intractable immigration issues of our time. For example, he worked behind the scenes on comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Juan supported several innovative ideas, drawing on his extensive experience to explain why particular proposals had merit. He was skilled at helping to develop consensus among agencies so that the process could move forward.

Juan also worked tirelessly on trying to amend the asylum regulations. The revisions would have expanded the meaning of "particular social group," clarified the rules governing asylum by non-state actors (thus aiding those with domestic violence claims and claims based on persecution by rebels), and made a range of other substantive changes. Sadly, consensus proved unattainable and the new regulations have not been finalized.

Juan's career highlights tell only part of his story. In addition to being smart and articulate, he had great emotional intelligence. He genuinely cared about others. He was patient, humble, understanding, loyal, and funny. He was even-handed and fair-minded, with high respect for both the law and human beings.

Juan inspired many others to consider immigration law as a career. For example, when he was a member of the BIA, Juan spoke to my colleague Estelle McKee's first-year lawyering class at Cornell. The students had just completed a memo assignment in asylum law. Students asked Juan tough questions: Have you ever regretted a decision? Have you ever been moved by anything in a case beyond logic? He fielded these questions with an honesty and grace that Estelle had rarely seen in any speaker. He spoke so movingly about his work that several students afterwards told Estelle that they were now considering immigration law instead of corporate law after they graduated.

Estelle's students, like so many others who met Juan, could tell that he was a truly kind and thoughtful person-the type of person who inspires you and makes you want to use your knowledge to really help those in need. He will be missed.

Juan leaves behind his beloved wife Wendy Young, who is Executive Director of Kids in Need of Defense, their dogs, and many friends and family. A memorial service will be held at noon on Sunday August 27 at the National Funeral Home, 7482 Lee Highway in Falls Church, Virginia. Friends and family are welcome to celebrate Juan's life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Juan's honor to the Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County or the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Arlington, Virginia.

© 2017 Stephen Yale-Loehr. All rights reserved.

^* Stephen Yale-Loehr (swy1@cornell.edu) is co-author of Immigration Law and Procedure, the leading 21-volume immigration law treatise, published by LexisNexis Matthew Bender. He is also Professor of Immigration Practice at Cornell Law School, and is of counsel at Miller Mayer (http://www.millermayer.com) in Ithaca, NY. He graduated from Cornell Law School in 1981 cum laude, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell International Law Journal. He received the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)'s Elmer Fried award for excellence in teaching in 2001, and AILA's Edith Lowenstein award for excellence in the practice of immigration law in 2004.