Justice Department investigators found pervasive nepotism at the Executive Office for Immigration Review.
In a new audit, the department’s Office of Inspector General found that “the practice of hiring relatives as employees...was widespread over a period of years.”
“From 2007 to 2012,” the investigators noted, “32 students with relatives working at EOIR were hired out of a total of approximately 200 student hires.”
The practice of hiring relatives for paid student positions was “a standard practice or commonplace,” employees told the investigators.
“We found the hiring decisions described in this report were emblematic of a pervasive culture of nepotism and favoritism in student hiring,” the investigators stated, adding that relatives “enjoyed a considerable advantage in securing paid student positions.”
The investigators added that they are “encouraged” by the fact that the current leadership “has begun taking steps to eradicate these practices from its student hiring.” The investigators further said the current leadership’s new training and policies are a “commendable” effort to make improvements.