Three New Appellate Immigration Judges Appointed to BIA (Aug. 11, 2020)

author by Melsida Asatrian on Aug. 31, 2020

Immigration Immigration  Deportation Immigration  Visa 

Summary: On August 7, 2020, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the appointment of three appellate immigration judges to the Board of Immigration Appeals.

immigration attorney nycOn August 7, 2020, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the appointment of three appellate immigration judges to the Board of Immigration Appeals [PDF version]. Each of the three new appellate immigration judges was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr. The appointments are significant in that the BIA is the highest administrative review body [link] for interpreting and applying the immigration laws. In this post, we will examine the resumes of the three new members of the BIA.

Michael P. Baird, Appellate Immigration Judge

- 2009-2020: Immigration judge on the Dallas Immigration Court (Texas) and later the Atlanta Immigration Court (Georgia).
- 2006-2009: Senior assistant district attorney in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, in Georgia.
- 2004-2006: Judge in the Municipal Court of Jonesboro, Georgia.
- 1997-2004: Chief Judge for the Magistrate Court of Clayton County, Georgia.
- 1995-96; 92-93: Private Practice.
- 1993-1995: Senior assistant solicitor general at the Clayton County Solicitor's Office.
- 1986-1990: Police officer.
- Obtained Juris Doctorate in 1992 from Georgia State University College of Law.

Sunita B. Mahtabfar, Appellate Immigration Judge

- 2013-2020: Immigration Judge on the El Paso Immigration Court (Texas).
- 2006-2013: Attorney in the Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, in El Paso, Texas.
- 2003-2006: Asylum officer in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.
- Obtained Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law.

Sirce E. Owen, Appellate Immigration Judge

- 2019-2020: Acting deputy Director of EOIR.
- 2018-2020: Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, based in Atlanta.
- 2016-2018: Deputy chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta.
- 2008-2016: Assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta.
- 2005-2008: Private practice.
- Obtained Juris Doctor in 2005 from Georgia State University.

Please visit the nyc immigration lawyers website for further information. The Law Offices of Grinberg & Segal, PLLC focuses vast segment of its practice on immigration law. This steadfast dedication has resulted in thousands of immigrants throughout the United States.

Lawyer website: http://myattorneyusa.com

Legal Articles Additional Disclaimer

Lawyer.com is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice. Content posted on Lawyer.com is the sole responsibility of the person from whom such content originated and is not reviewed or commented on by Lawyer.com. The application of law to any set of facts is a highly specialized skill, practiced by lawyers and often dependent on jurisdiction. Content on the site of a legal nature may or may not be accurate for a particular state or jurisdiction and may largely depend on specific circumstances surrounding individual cases, which may or may not be consistent with your circumstances or may no longer be up-to-date to the extent that laws have changed since posting. Legal articles therefore are for review as general research and for use in helping to gauge a lawyer's expertise on a matter. If you are seeking specific legal advice, Lawyer.com recommends that you contact a lawyer to review your specific issues. See Lawyer.com's full Terms of Use for more information.

© 2025 LAWYER.COM INC.

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of Lawyer.com’s Terms of Use, Email, Phone, & Text Message and Privacy Policies.