Hiring of immigration judges may have violated laws

HoustonChronicle/LA Times ^ | May 25 | Richard B Schmitt

[PghBaldy]

WASHINGTON — Over the last two years, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has appointed more than two dozen individuals as federal immigration judges.

The new jurists include a former treasurer of the Louisiana Republican Party, who was a legal adviser to the Bush Florida recount team after the 2000 presidential election. There is also a former GOP congressional aide who had tracked voter fraud issues for the Justice Department, and a Texan who was once appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush to a seat on the state library commission.

One thing missing on many of their resumes: a background in immigration law.

[PghBaldy]

It mentions the Hatch Act... I'm not sure what I think of this, considering the frequently unreliable source and I never thought of the Hatch Act in relation to judges. If that is the case, then why is Ruth Vader on the Court?

[PghBaldy]

UNLESS, they are not confimed by the Senate, then possibly Hatch would apply to them but not to SCOTUS (of course).

[JerseyHighlander]

It doesn’t matter if the Amnesty bill is passed.

Provision in the bill makes it so ONLY immigration defense atty’s can be appointed to be immigration judges and federal immigration law prosecutors. Revolving door immigration law cottage industry, already lucrative, will now have permanent job security and it’s own lobbying firms.

[Global2010]

Another unheard Whine.

Geeze Louis at least when Clinton was in office we could see, expose and fill up tons of posts with his adminastration flaws...oops I forgot men were dropping like flies then.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

I would be surprised if Clinton didn’t consider political angles when appointing and hiring, but I don’t remember any investigation of Clinton like this. But it appears that Bush Jr. cares more about immigration (unfortunately, not to enforce the laws, but to enact amnesty).