June 13, 1997
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Michael J. Creppy, Chief Immigration Judge, will give the oath of office today to a new Immigration Judge in an investiture ceremony at 5:00 p.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom, Federal Courthouse, 500 Camp Street, Fifth Floor, New Orleans, Louisiana. Agnelis L. Reese join 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, judicial 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 Reese was appointed Immigration Judge in April 1997, and is serving in Oakdale, Louisiana. She received her B.A. in 1977 from Louisiana Tech University, and her J.D. from Southern University Law Center in 1989. From 1989 to 1997, Judge Reese served as Assistant District Counsel, Immigration and Naturalization Service, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a member of the Louisiana Bar.