Executive Office for Immigration Review Announces Six New Assistant Chief Immigration Judges

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) today announced the appointment of six new assistant chief immigration judges (ACIJs). ACIJs are responsible for overseeing the operations of the immigration courts or program portfolio to which they are assigned. Their official assignments will be announced in the coming months.

The new ACIJs will help EOIR focus supervisory functions closer to the immigration courts around the country, which is particularly important given the growth in the immigration judge corps expected over the coming months. “While the immigration courts continue to face incredible strain on their resources under an ever growing backlog of cases, we must take action to fully exercise the abilities of our staff at all levels,” said Acting Chief Immigration Judge Print Maggard. “The placement of each of these dedicated immigration judges into a management role will allow EOIR to increase immigration court efficiencies through organizational change.” In addition to their management responsibilities, the new ACIJs will continue to hear cases.

Biographical information for each ACIJ follows.

Mary Cheng, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Mary Cheng was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Cheng received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from New York University and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from New York Law School. From April 2009 to November 2015, she served as an immigration judge at the New York City Immigration Court. From March 2003 to April 2009, Judge Cheng served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York. From June 2002 to March 2003, she worked as an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York. From August 2000 to May 2002, Judge Cheng was in private practice in New York. During this time, from June 2001 to June 2002, Judge Cheng served as an administrative law judge for the New York City Department of Finance. From September 1998 to July 2000, she worked as an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York. From September 1997 to September 1998, Judge Cheng worked as a judicial law clerk at the New York City Immigration Court entering on duty through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. Judge Cheng is a member of the New York State Bar.

Irene C. Feldman, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Irene C. Feldman was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Feldman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 from Mount Holyoke College, a Juris Doctor degree in 1988 from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and a Master of Science in Management degree in 1995 from Boston University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. From 2008 to 2015, Judge Feldman served as an immigration judge at the Eloy (Arizona) Immigration Court. From 2001 to 2008, Judge Feldman served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Puerto Rico and in Arizona. From 1996 to 2001, Judge Feldman worked as an Assistant District Counsel, Office of the District Counsel, for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in New Jersey and in New York. From 1989 to 1994, Judge Feldman served as an Assistant Prosecutor, in the Office of the County Prosecutor, Bergen County, New Jersey. Judge Feldman is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and the New Jersey State Bar.

Amy C. Hoogasian, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Amy C. Hoogasian was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Hoogasian received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1990 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from John Marshall Law School, Chicago. From October 2010 to November 2015, Judge Hoogasian served as an immigration judge at the San Francisco Immigration Court. From 2009 to 2010, she served as chief legal counsel at SAGIN LLC. From 2005 through 2009, Judge Hoogasian served as senior corporation counsel at ULINE, Inc. From 1999 to 2005, she served as an assistant chief counsel, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago. From 1995 to 1999, Judge Hoogasian served as attorney to the chairman at the Illinois Pollution Control Board. In 1995, she served as an assistant state’s attorney at the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, Waukegan, Ill. Judge Hoogasian is a member of the Illinois State Bar.

H. Kevin Mart, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
H. Kevin Mart was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. Judge Mart received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the University of Dayton (Ohio) and a Juris Doctor in 1982 from Georgetown University Law Center. Since October 2010 Judge Mart has served as an immigration judge at the Miami Immigration Court. From 1995 to October 2010 Judge Mart worked in private practice in Miami and Orlando, Fla., specializing in immigration law. From 1992 to 1995 Judge Mart worked in private practice specializing in litigation in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Virgin Islands, and in 1991 worked as an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Virgin Islands. From 1982 to 1990, Judge Mart worked in private practice in New York City at Brown &Wood and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson specializing in corporate finance. Judge Mart is member of the State Bar of California, the New York and Ohio State Bars, and the Virgin Islands Bar.

Sheila McNulty, Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Sheila McNulty was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in November 2015. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1984. Judge McNulty received a Juris Doctorate in 1991 from New England School of Law. From November of 2010 until November of 2015 she served as an immigration judge at the Chicago Immigration Court. Judge McNulty served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, from 2000 until 2010. Prior to that, she began working for the U.S. Department of Justice through the Attorney General’s Honors Program, serving as a trial attorney in the Chicago District Counsel’s Office of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1991 to 2000. Judge McNulty worked as a community activist and organizer in Cambridge, Mass., from 1985 until 1991. Judge McNulty is a member of the Illinois State Bar.

Clarence M. Wagner Jr., Assistant Chief Immigration Judge
Clarence M. Wagner, Jr. was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge in December 2015. Judge Wagner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from Hampton University, a Juris Doctorate in 1997 from Southern University Law Center and a Master of Law degree in 1999 from Georgetown University Law Center. From October 2010 to November 2015, Judge Wagner served as an immigration judge at the Honolulu Immigration Court. From 2003 to October 2010, he served with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, in various capacities, including chief counsel, Honolulu, from 2008 to 2010; deputy chief counsel, New Orleans, from 2006 to 2008; and assistant chief counsel, San Antonio, from 2003 to 2006. From 2002 to 2003 Judge Wagner served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Louisiana Department of Justice in Baton Rouge, La. From February 2002 to June 2002, he served as senior attorney, Legal Affairs Division, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. From 1998 to 2001, Judge Wagner served as an officer in the U.S. Army, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Honolulu, Hawaii. In that capacity, he was the labor and employment attorney from 1998 to 2000 and the environmental law attorney from 2000 to 2001. He was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney, Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Hawaii, from 1998 to 2000. Judge Wagner is a member of the Louisiana State Bar and the State Bar of Texas.

- EOIR -

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the Department of Justice. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals interpret and adjudicate immigration cases according to United States immigration laws. EOIR's immigration judges conduct administrative court proceedings in immigration courts located throughout the nation. They determine whether foreign-born individuals—whom the Department of Homeland Security charges with violating immigration law—should be ordered removed from the United States or should be granted relief from removal and be permitted to remain in this country. The Board of Immigration Appeals primarily reviews appeals of decisions by immigration judges. EOIR's Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer adjudicates immigration-related employment cases. EOIR is committed to ensuring fairness in all of the cases it adjudicates.