First IJC Fellow joins the immigration bench!

This is an historic day for Immigrant Justice Corps. Today the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the appointment of Dianna Michelle Martínez Soler (Justice Fellow ‘17) as an immigration judge at the New York immigration court!  

Until her appointment, Judge Martínez Soler was the Legal Director at Central American Legal Assistance (CALA), a host organization in Brooklyn, New York. She spent her two-year Justice Fellowship at CALA, where she represented asylum seekers in removal proceedings. She was hired as a staff attorney after her fellowship. 

When IJC’s founder, the late Judge Katzmann, first conceived of IJC, his vision was a fellowship program that would seed the immigration field with the next generation of immigration advocates. Having a former Fellow join the bench is proof that we are succeeding.  

IJC alumni occupy positions of leadership across the immigration landscape – in direct services, policy, academia, and government. Judge Martínez Soler joins their ranks as the first former Fellow to become an immigration judge. As a judge, she can help ensure the fair administration of justice for immigrants.  

We cannot overstate the importance of this news. And we could not be more proud of our alumni. 

We congratulate Judge Martínez Soler on this remarkable achievement, and we encourage you to share this wonderful news with your networks. 

We are ever more encouraged to pursue our mission. 

With warm wishes and thanks for your steadfast support.