General Attorney; Appellate

Duties

OPLA is the largest legal program in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), employing 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 (EOIR). Selected attorneys will primarily serve as DHS's appellate counsel before EOIR's Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in administrative removal cases brought by DHS agents and officers, including those against criminal aliens, terrorists, and human rights abusers.

ILPD attorneys provide immigration law subject-matter expertise and appellate advocacy before the BIA, including the preparation of briefs, motions, and other pleadings. ILPD attorneys will:

• Zealously litigated on behalf of DHS, including advocating to maintain custody of dangerous aliens pending completion of removal proceedings, ensuring the proper application of criminal and other grounds of removal from the United States, and presenting arguments to defeat meritless claims for relief from removal and certain forms of protection (asylum, statutory withholding of removal, and the regulations implementing U.S. obligations under Article 3 of the Convention Against Torture).
• Represent ICE's interests in federal court litigation on novel or complex immigration law issues, regularly contribute to document review in federal civil discovery, and provide legal advice and support to other ICE components and litigation support to the United States Attorney's Offices in immigration or customs matters, as necessary.
• Work with other OPLA Headquarters divisions and OPLA field locations, DHS Office of the General Counsel Headquarters (OGC HQ), certain DOJ components, including the Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL), and other ICE and DHS personnel on a wide range of substantive issues related to immigration law.

OPLA will ensure that applicants with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations when appropriate. If reasonable accommodation is required for any part of the application process, please contact the OPLA representative listed on this announcement.

Conditions of employment

• You must successfully pass a background investigation and drug screen for federal employment.
• If you are a male born after 12/31/59, you must certify registration with the Selective Service.
• You must have relevant experience (see How You Will Be Evaluated and Qualifications tabs).
• You must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• You may be required to serve a two-year trial period, if the requirement has not been met.
• You must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a U.S. state, territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on 02/17/2026. Please note that qualification claims will be subject to verification.

In light of the nature of ILPD's work, attorney assignments are fast-paced, high-profile, and need to be addressed in real-time. The attorneys selected in response to this announcement will be given significant responsibilities on an immediate basis. Selectees must possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, characteristics, and competencies: applicants must be adept at prioritizing multiple assignments, exercising sound legal and practical judgment, efficiently producing quality legal analyses of complex legal issues, and working effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Applicants should also demonstrate the ability to take initiative and work in a reliable, decisive, and professional manner.

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…