U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review

Office of the Director
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2600
Falls Church, Virginia 22041

Contact: Public Affairs Office

(703)305-0289, Fax: (703)605-0365

Internet: www.usdoj.gov/eoir

May 22, 2002

Immigration Judges Take Oath of Office

In Los Angeles, California

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - John W. Davis, Renee L. Renner, Jeffrey L. Romig, John D. Taylor, and Gita Vahid-Tehrani were sworn in today as Immigration Judges during an investiture ceremony at 2:00 p.m., in the U.S. District Court, 255 E. Temple Street, Courtroom 850, Los Angeles, California. Chief Immigration Judge Michael J. Creppy, from the Executive Office for Immigration Review in Falls Church, Virginia, administered the oath of office.

They join the ranks of more than 200 Immigration Judges located in 51 Immigration Courts throughout the nation. They are responsible for conducting formal administrative proceedings to determine whether foreign-born individuals who are charged with violations of federal immigration law should be removed from the United States or may be granted relief from removal. Immigration judges decide each case independently and their decisions are final unless appealed or certified to the Board of Immigration Appeals. In the past year, immigration judges completed more than 250,000 such proceedings. They are also authorized to administer oaths of citizenship to candidates for naturalization.

Judge John W. Davis was appointed Immigration Judge in January 2002. He received his B.A. in 1980 from the University of Nebraska-Omaha; his J.D. in 1987 from Creighton University; and his LL.M. in international law in 1997 from the Army Judge Advocate General's School. From November 1999 to January 2002, Judge Davis worked as an assistant district counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Eloy, Arizona. He served in the U.S. Air Force from December 1987 to November 1999. During his tour of duty, Judge Davis served as Chief, International and Operations Law, 12^th Air Force, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, from May 1997 to November 1999; Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, 20^th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from June 1994 to June 1996; and Circuit Trial Counsel at Yokota Air Force Base, Japan, from September 1991 to June 1994. Judge Davis is a member of the Nebraska and Arizona Bars.

Judge Renee L. Renner was appointed Immigration Judge in January 2002. She received her B.A. in 1976 and her J.D. in 1979 both from the University of Florida; a LL.M. in criminal law in 1992 from the University of San Diego; a diploma in 1999 from the Naval War College; and a Masters in military strategy in 2002 from the Army War College. Judge Renner served as assistant district counsel with the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Los Angeles and San Diego, California, from 1995 to January 2002. From 1994 to 1995, she was an associate attorney with Grady and Associates, also in San Diego. Judge Renner served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1980 to 1993 and served as a military judge from 1989 to 1993. She has been a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from November 1993 to present, serving as a reserve Staff Judge Advocate from 1999 to present. Judge Renner is a member of the Florida and California Bars.

Judge Jeffrey L. Romig was appointed Immigration Judge in January 2002. He received his B.A. in 1981 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his J.D. and M.A. in 1985 from the University of Pittsburgh. Judge Romig served as appellate counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Falls Church, Virginia, from April 1999 to December 2001. Prior to that, he served as supervisory attorney advisor for the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board) from August 1995 to April 1999. From December 1994 to August 1995, Judge Romig worked on the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform ("Jordan Commission"), in Washington, D.C., as a senior policy analyst. He worked at the Board from November 1986 to December 1994 as an attorney advisor. Judge Romig is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.

Judge John D. Taylor was appointed Immigration Judge in January 2002. He received his B.A. from Washburn University in 1962, and his J.D. from Pepperdine University in 1976. Judge Taylor served as assistant regional counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Laguna Niguel, California, from 1988 to January 2002. He served as assistant district director for the U.S. Department of Labor in Santa Ana, California, from 1980 to 1988. Judge Taylor is a member of the California Bar.

Judge Gita Vahid-Tehrani was appointed Immigration Judge in January 2002. She received her B.A. in 1984 from the University of California at Los Angeles, and her J.D. from Whittier School of Law in 1991. She served as assistant district counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Los Angeles from October 1991 to January 2002. Judge Vahid-Tehrani is a member of the California and Pennsylvania Bars.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) - a Department of Justice agency that is independent from the INS - is responsible for providing due process to individuals who are charged with immigration law violations or seek relief from immigration-related penalties imposed against them.

- EOIR -