U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Department of Justice
Executive Office for Immigration Review
Office of the Director
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2400
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Public Affairs, (703)305-0289 or 305-1188
Fax: (703) 605-0365
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September 3, 1997
IMMIGRATION JUDGE TO TAKE OATH OF OFFICE
IN BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA
BLOOMINGTON, MN -- Joseph Dierkes will be sworn in today as a new Immigration Judge.
Michael J. Creppy, Chief Immigration Judge, will give the oath of office in an investiture
ceremony at 3:00 p.m. in the Immigration Court, 7850 Metro Parkway, Suite 320, Bloomington,
Minnesota. Judge Dierkes joins the ranks of over 200 Immigration Court Judges located in more
than 40 Immigration Courts throughout the nation.
Immigration Judges are responsible for conducting formal administrative proceedings, and act
independently in their decision-making capacity. Immigration Judges preside over more than
250,000 formal removal proceedings each year. These decisions are administratively final unless
appealed or certified to the Board of Immigration Appeals. In addition to determining whether
individuals are admissible or removable, Immigration Judges have jurisdiction to consider
applications for various forms of relief from removal. These include applications for such relief
as asylum, adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, waivers of inadmissibility, and
custody/bond redeterminations. Immigration Judges are also authorized to administer oaths of
citizenship to naturalization applicants.
Judge Dierkes was appointed Immigration Judge in April 1997. He received a B.A. in 1974 from Rockhurst College, Kansas City, Missouri, and a J.D. in 1977 from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. From 1987 to 1997, Judge Dierkes served as Assistant District Counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Kansas City, Missouri. He was in private practice in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1978 to 1987. Judge Dierkes served as a Law Clerk for Judge Donald B. Clark, Jackson County Circuit Court, Jackson County Court House, Kansas City, from 1977 to 1978. He is a member of both the Missouri and Illinois Bars.
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