# Kai Bernal-LeClaire Temporary Immigration Judge · [Chelmsford Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ma/chelmsford-immigration-court) Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Kai Bernal-LeClaire at a glance Current role Temporary Immigration Judge Court [Chelmsford Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ma/chelmsford-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Massachusetts · Federal Judicial service Active Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 30 Relief granted 1 3.3% Denied / removal ordered 11 36.7% Other / procedural 18 60.0% National comparison for this selection: 9,249,024 outcomes; 10.0% relief granted; 52.0% denied / removal ordered; 38.0% other / procedural. Methodology and sources These are proceeding outcomes, not asylum application statistics. Completion years use EOIR COMP_DATE; 2026 contains partial-year data. Relief granted, denied / removal ordered and other / procedural exhaust the recorded outcomes. Groups of one are included. Historical outcomes do not establish a current assignment. Counts describe recorded cases and do not predict an individual's result. [Official EOIR case data](https://fileshare.eoir.justice.gov/EOIR%20Case%20Data.zip) · Source date: Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:14:27 GMT ## Biography ### Professional career - served in various positions as judge advocate with the U.S. Navy — August 2008–January 2017 including two deployments at sea aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and one deployment to Iraq - Judge BernalLeClaire holds the rank of commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve - Under current rules, any licensed attorney may be appointed, without the prior requirement for extensive immigration law experience WBUR - an assistant and associate counsel with the Office of the General Counsel, Department of the Navy, at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Newport, Rhode Island ### Education - University of Texas at Austin School of Law — J.D. (2008) - University of Florida — M.S., Operations Research (2004) - University of Florida — B.S., Industrial Engineering (2003) ### Additional information - Commander, U.S. Navy Reserve; 18 years in the JAG Corps, with service from 2008 to present - 2026 announcement, Bernal‐LeClaire was among the new temporary immigration judges sworn in at the DOJ’s Great Hall in Washington, D.C., alongside Stephen J. Faherty, Terry M. Meinecke, and William L. Richards III - Kai V. Bernal‐LeClaire is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and a member of the Texas Bar, appointed in July 2026 as one of four temporary immigration judges by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) - Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division; and Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C — January 2017–July 2026 - The temporary immigration judge role was created in 2014 to manage surges in immigration case volume - This appointment is part of a broader policy allowing Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps lawyers to serve in this role to address a national backlog of immigration cases - Legal career: previously Associate Counsel at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, RI - Assistant Counsel at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia, PA; and Assistant Counsel at the Naval History and Heritage Command - The DOJ has cited the need to address a backlog of roughly 3.5 million pending immigration cases nationwide - The EOIR noted that temporary immigration judges are appointed to handle cases in the immigration courts, typically for terms up to six months, with possible extensions WBUR - Judge Bernal-LeClaire is a member of the State Bar of Texas ## Sources Identity source checked August 19, 2026 . Biography sources checked August 19, 2026 . ### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 19, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.1 - Delivery and Receipt Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 30, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.3 - Documents ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.10 - Interpreters ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.11 - Courtroom Decorum ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.12 - Electronic Devices ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.15 - Individual Calendar Hearing ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ### DOJ/EOIR appointment evidence — Kai Bernal-LeClaire Judge Specific source · PDF · Source checked September 14, 2026 ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings Judge Specific source · HTML · Source checked September 14, 2026 ### Current EOIR official staff directory Current EOIR Official Staff Directory source · HTML · Source checked October 7, 2026 [Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections)