[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 5942-5943] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IN HONOR OF JUDGE BRUCE J. EINHORN IN RECOGNITION OF HIS EXEMPLARY SERVICE ______ HON. XAVIER BECERRA of california in the house of representatives Thursday, March 8, 2007 Mr. BECERRA. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today and recognize Judge Bruce J. Einhorn, a friend and champion who exemplifies the values of our great Nation. As a United States Immigration Judge in Los Angeles for over 15 years, Judge Einhorn worked diligently to protect the rights of individuals who seek residency in our country, and to preserve the human rights of those around the world. On March 8, 2007, community members and leaders throughout Los Angeles are joining together to honor Judge Bruce J. Einhorn in recognition of his years of service. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said, ``The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.'' Judge Einhorn's jurisprudence, discipline, and refusal to simply conform to previous interpretations of the law when justice had not been served, makes him one of the most eminent and influential jurists of our time. Judge Einhorn was the first immigration judge to grant asylum to HIV-positive individuals and disabled children who faced socially-based persecution and the denial of medical treatment in their native countries. He has issued major decisions granting asylum to persecuted individuals: religious minorities, women facing ``honor killings,'' victims of female genital mutilation and of rape, racial and ethnic minorities, political dissidents, and gays and lesbians from many countries. Judge Einhorn has dedicated his entire career to maintaining the integrity of federal law and giving voice to those who deserve justice. Appropriately, Judge Einhorn was honored with the Daniel Ginsberg National Leadership Award in Civil Rights in 1999, and the award was presented to him at a ceremony at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia--the home church of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Before taking the bench as a judge, Bruce worked for the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) from 1979 to 1990. As a young lawyer he worked as the principal draftsperson of the Refugee Relief Act, which for the first time in our Nation's history, gave noncitizens the right to apply for asylum in the United States. His early career work on immigration policy complemented his later practices as a United States Immigration Judge adjudicating claims under the very statute which he helped draft. Also while at OSI, Bruce worked to identify and prosecute Nazi war criminals who resided illegally in the United States. In this work he traveled to far [[Page 5943]] corners of our world to conduct eyewitness depositions. Whether in the drafting of a law, or the prosecution of a war criminal--from the earliest stages of his career Bruce determinedly sought justice. Even when away from the bench, Judge Einhorn never stops serving the public. Recently, as a leader within the Anti-Defamation League, he helped draft the Declaration of Los Angeles, which calls for a carefully balanced national policy of protecting homeland security and immigrant rights, and which has been adopted by the Los Angeles City Council, among other civil rights groups. Judge Einhorn is also a founding member of the ADL Latino-Jewish Roundtable of Los Angeles, and as Chair of the ADL's International Affairs Committee, he works with the Consuls General of Mexico, Germany, Canada, and Turkey on initiatives involving the international rights of women. In his quest not only to adjudicate, but also to impact and interpret humanitarian law for generations to come, Judge Einhorn has conducted continuing legal education seminars for the American Immigration Law Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is known for his extensive lecturing on the separation of church and state, and has lectured to federal district court judges on sentencing guidelines for those convicted of federally defined hate crimes. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of International Human Rights Law and War Crimes Studies at the Pepperdine School of Law since 1991. As a founding member of both the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, and of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, Bruce has proven his commitment to furthering the principles of justice and tolerance. It is no surprise that Judge Einhorn has already been recognized with numerous awards for his extraordinary commitment to protecting human rights. For his work at OSI, he received three Justice Department Special Achievement Awards, the Attorney General's Special Commendation Award, and the Distinguished Graduate Award of New York University School of Law. For his judicial work, Judge Einhorn received the Human Rights Award of the Bah'ai community in Southern California, a Certificate of Merit from the Arab-American and Iran-American Bar Associations of Southern California, and a Lifetime Professional Achievement Award from the State Bar of California. However, knowing Judge Einhorn is to know that these deserved and honored awards are not held as the greatest accomplishments of his career. His greatest achievements stem from the lives forever changed in his courtroom. Madam Speaker, I recognize the Honorable Bruce J. Einhorn today in the United States House of Representatives, for adjudicating the laws enacted by this body with the utmost integrity, the sharpest of intellect, and a compassionate heart. I ask that my colleagues join me in saluting this exceptional man who has made inspiring contributions in public service and the legal profession. On behalf of the countless individuals to whom Judge Einhorn has given a voice and the opportunity to exercise their basic human rights and civil liberties, I say thank you and God's speed in your future endeavors. ____________________