EOIR Issues Policy Memo on Additional Adjudicator Personnel Matters
EOIR Acting Director Sirce Owen issued Policy Memorandum (PM) 25-26 to reset additional personnel policies following the discovery of "further problematic personnel practices" concerning adjudicators, particularly IJs serving temporary appointments. The memo states that, going forward, all terminations of employment of adjudicators will be forwarded by the Director for concurrence by the Attorney General, and any adjudicator terminated between 2/1/21 and 1/20/25 at the end of their initial temporary term appointments may re-apply for any future EOIR adjudicator vacancy without prejudice. The memo further notes that EOIR will no longer rely on performance feedback it receives from parties appearing before an adjudicator to terminate an adjudicator at the conclusion of their temporary appointment or subsequent trial period, absent corroboration and independent verification by an EOIR or DOJ employee.