The Honorable Immigration Judge James Hong was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in August 2026. Judge Hong earned a Bachelor of Science in 2004 from the University of California, Irvine, a Juris Doctor in 2007 from Trinity Law School, and a Master of Laws in 2011 from the Chapman University Fowler School of Law. From August 2011 to August 2026, Judge Hong served as a deputy district attorney with the Orange County District Attorney's Office in Santa Ana, California. From January 2010 to August 2011, Judge Hong was a sole practitioner at Esquire Law Center in Irvine, California. From June 2008 to January 2010, Judge Hong served as a consumer bankruptcy attorney at the Doan Law Firm in Laguna Hills, California. Judge Hong is a member of the State Bar of California.