Job Description
General Attorney
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Summary
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is seeking an energetic and dedicated attorney to serve as an Associate Legal Advisor with the National Security Law Division (NSLD) in Washington, D.C.
Duties
ICE OPLA NSLD is seeking an attorney for an Associate Legal Advisor position in Washington, D.C. to handle issues including national oversight of, and litigation support to, OPLA field locations in their litigation of national security issues before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR); coordinating removal proceedings and supporting criminal prosecutions involving terrorists, foreign intelligence agents, and other national security matters; drafting briefing papers and Congressional testimony for DHS, ICE, and OPLA leadership; analyzing and drafting legislative proposals that affect national security; and providing well-reasoned legal and policy advice regarding immigration, intelligence and customs issues relating to national security.
NSLD primarily provides legal advice to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). NSLD work contributes to significant policy decisions integral to ICE's mission. Assignments within NSLD are fast-paced and involve high-profile work. NSLD attorneys advise, counsel, and train HSI agents and ERO officers on legal authorities, best practices, and agency policies on a wide array of issues, including but not limited to those listed above.
NSLD attorneys work closely with a wide range of ICE program offices, including HSI National Security Division, HSI Student Exchange and Visitor Program, HSI Visa Security Program, and ERO Removals Division. They also work with working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of State, as well as the National Security, Civil, and Criminal Divisions of the Department of Justice on national security matters, and other federal agencies and departments.
The selected attorney will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to craft legally supportable policies to address the needs of agency operational components. The attorney will be expected to routinely provide timely legal opinions to ICE officers and agents, NSLD management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the General Counsel Headquarters. The selected attorney will be required to assess litigation risk and provide litigation support to the Department of Justice.
OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing over 1,000 attorneys nationwide. In addition to Headquarters in Washington, D.C., there are 25 OPLA field locations in more than 60 cities throughout the United States. Pursuant to statute, OPLA serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the (EOIR) litigating cases involving criminal aliens, terrorists, human rights abusers, and other priority aliens. OPLA also provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices.
OPLA provides legal advice and prudential counsel to ICE personnel on their law enforcement authorities, legal liability under the Federal Tort Claims Act and Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, ethics, and a range of administrative law issues, such as contract, fiscal and employment law. OPLA represents the agency before the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Contract Board of Appeals. OPLA attorneys support the Department of Justice in the prosecution of ICE cases and in the defense of civil cases against the ICE.
OPLA fosters an environment in which all voices are heard and values the unique perspectives and opinions that inhere among a talented, diverse, and inclusive workforce. Comprising a far more diverse workforce than its private sector counterparts, OPLA is proud to strive to further diversify the experiences, perspectives, and characteristics of its workforce and is committed to celebrating our differences and embracing practices that foster a fair, safe, and inclusive workplace by promoting equitable access to opportunities.