SUMMARY

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) is seeking attorneys for its Headquarters District Court Litigation Division, Enforcement and Removal Operations Law Division, Human Rights Violator Law Division, Homeland Security Investigations Law Division, and Immigration Law and Practice Division. These positions offer up to $50,000 in signing and retention bonuses.
Applicants should indicate their order of preference in their cover letter.

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, YOU MUST MEET ALL QUALIFICATION AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS BY 11:59 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ON 08/20/2025. PLEASE NOTE THAT QUALIFICATION CLAIMS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION.

Applicants should be able to efficiently produce quality legal analyses of complex and novel issues, exercise sound legal judgment, prioritize competing assignments, and work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across work units. Applicants should be detail-oriented and have a strong interest in supporting and providing stellar client services to program offices, including law enforcement officers, policymakers, attorneys, and agency senior leadership, and must be able to tailor communications to a particular audience. Applicants should be able to take initiative and work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner.
Applicants should possess the following characteristics and competencies: integrity, sound professional judgment, organizational skills, decisiveness, initiative, stellar client services, the ability to function independently and cooperatively, and superior written and oral advocacy skills.
Bar Membership: You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u), and/or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 C.F.R. § 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs.

EDUCATION

Applicants must be graduates of an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or LLM degree.

OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing nearly 2,000 attorneys nationwide. OPLA provides a full range of legal services to all ICE programs and offices and serves as the exclusive representative of DHS in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
District Court Litigation Division (DCLD) attorneys handle issues regarding adjudication of administrative claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act and all aspects of civil litigation, including legal strategy, motion practice, discovery, and settlement negotiations, in cases ranging from common-law tort suits, lawsuits under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), and claims seeking injunctive or declaratory relief. DCLD attorneys advise ICE leadership and employees regarding litigation risks and represent ICE’s interests in litigation-related discussions with other DHS components and federal agencies. DCLD attorneys are also responsible for managing ICE’s production of discovery in federal civil litigation.
Enforcement and Removal Operations Law Division (EROLD) attorneys develop legal opinions and review and draft policy directives, legislation, regulations, and other materials for DHS, ICE, and OPLA leadership on the legal and policy aspects of Enforcement and Removal Operations’ (ERO) immigration enforcement functions, including alternatives to detention, civil immigration arrest, detention, and release authorities, conditions of confinement, detainers, expedited removal processes, fugitive operations, juvenile and family unit issues, repatriation initiatives, and the 287(g) Program. EROLD attorneys provide advice to ERO personnel with regard to the same issues in individual cases. EROLD also houses OPLA’s regulatory program and provides litigation support to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for federal litigation impacting ICE immigration enforcement equities.
Human Rights Violator Law Division (HRVLD) attorneys provide advice and counsel in support of criminal prosecution, denaturalization, and removal efforts targeting war criminals, human rights violators, and human traffickers. HRVLD attorneys also work closely with OPLA Field Locations to support removal proceedings against human right violators. In addition, HRVLD supports the HSI Victim Assistance Program and OPLA Field Locations litigating cases involving aliens who have applied for victim-based immigration benefits and supports ICE’s work on S visas, law enforcement parole, Pro Forma Visas, and the Witness Security Program.
Homeland Security Investigations Law Division (HSILD) attorneys provide customs law, criminal law, and criminal immigration law advice to DHS, ICE, and OPLA leadership. This includes advising on financial crimes, asset forfeiture, the repatriation of cultural property, confidential informants and undercover operations, customs fraud, intellectual property rights, cybercrime, child exploitation, export enforcement, intelligence, identity and benefit fraud, contraband smuggling, gangs, search and seizure issues, and worksite enforcement matters. HSILD interprets and defends HSI’s unique authorities; reviews national policies, novel issues, and matters of national importance; drafts proposed legislation; liaises with other law enforcement agencies; and provides advanced training to HSI special agents. HSILD provides direct support to ICE law enforcement personnel and ensures consistent nationwide legal and operational advice on these matters through coordination with OPLA Field Locations.
Immigration Law and Practice Division (ILPD) attorneys review DHS appeals filed with the BIA, represent DHS in briefing before the Attorney General and in oral arguments and supplemental briefing before the BIA, and coordinate closely with DOJ and the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ) to pursue further review of adverse federal court decisions. ILPD provides guidance to OPLA Field Locations, agency leadership, DHS OGC HQ, and DOJ components on substantive immigration law issues, including, but not limited to, criminal grounds of removability, bond proceedings, and extradition. ILPD also provides specialized legal advice on matters involving refugees, asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture, and Temporary Protected Status.
Selected attorneys will immediately be given significant responsibilities and will be expected to craft persuasive, legally supportable positions to address the needs of agency operational components. Selected attorneys will be expected to routinely provide timely legal opinions to ICE officers and agents, division management, and leadership within OPLA, ICE, and the DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters. Selected attorneys will also provide litigation support to DOJ.