Before resigning from her position as an Immigration Judge in May 2025, Sarah had served as an immigration attorney with the federal government for over 15 years, including as an Immigration Judge, staff attorney at the Board of Immigration Appeals, and as an attorney with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She had originally joined the Department of Justice as an immigration attorney immediately after law school, as she was selected for the Attorney General Honors Program. Her resignation from the bench was prompted by concerns regarding political pressures on the immigration court system and the erosion of due process protections. Since resigning she worked in private practice representing immigrants before the immigration courts and Citizenship and Immigration Services, and more recently she has begun providing strategic consulting and brief-writing assistance for other attorneys.
Sarah was originally drawn to immigration law because of not only its legal complexities but also the human element which is present in each case. Many of her close friends have been immigrants or the children of immigrants, and she has lived most of her life in immigrant-rich communities. She knows that every removal proceeding, application, and petition have an intricate and interesting story behind them, and she believes advocacy is the work of making sure that story is told in an understandable, impactful way while showing how the applicant meets all the legal requirements.
Publications
Sarah Cade & Raisa Cohen, “Secure in Their Persons, Houses, Papers, and Effects: Suppression in Immigration Court in an Age of Widespread Fourth Amendment Violations,” 8 AILA L.J. 33 (2026)
Sarah Cade, Removability for Smuggling Under Sections 212(a)(6)(E) and 237(a)(1)(E) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, Immigr. L. Advisor Vol. 4, No. 3 (Mar. 2010)
Sarah Cade, Recent Developments in the Specific Intent Standard in Convention Against Torture Cases, Immigr. L. Advisor Vol. 3 No. 1 (Jan. 2009).
Involvement
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Round Table of Former Immigration Judges