The Honorable Immigration Judge James R. Abeshaus was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in August 2026. Judge Abeshaus earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2000 from Indiana University Bloomington and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from Florida Coastal School of Law. From November 2025 to August 2026, Judge Abeshaus served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Houston. From January 2022 to November 2025, Judge Abeshaus practiced privately with Prestige LLC in Austin, Texas. From September 2017 to December 2021, Judge Abeshaus served as corporate counsel for Mercedes-Benz Cars in Stuttgart, Germany. From May 2016 to September 2017, Judge Abeshaus served as appellate counsel for the Soldiers Medical Evaluation Board, U.S. Army Medical Command, in Edinburgh, Indiana. From January 2011 to February 2015, Judge Abeshaus served as a foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State in Paris and Hyderabad. From September 2004 to September 2010, Judge Abeshaus served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army in various locations. Judge Abeshaus is a member of the Florida Bar.