Gonzales Issues New Guidelines for Immigration Judges

WASHINGTON — Immigration court judges will undergo periodic evaluations and additional immigration appeals judges will be hired, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced Wednesday.

Gonzales opened a review of the immigration courts, which operate as part of the Justice Department, in January after chastising some of them for "intemperate or even abusive" conduct toward asylum seekers.

"This review has left me reassured of the talent and professionalism that exists in the immigration courts and at the Board of Immigration Appeals," Gonzales said in a statement. But he found room for improvement.

The more than 200 immigration judges handle hundreds of thousands of cases each year. Some of the judges have criticized the quality of their colleagues' work and the disparaging way some judges have treated foreigners seeking to remain in this country.