Donald Thompson, Esq.

Donald Thompson is Of Counsel at Kenepaske & Scott PLLC, where he brings nearly two decades of distinguished federal government service to the firm’s immigration practice. Donald’s practice encompasses all phases of immigration proceedings, including representation before the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration Appeals, and litigation in the federal courts. A magna cum laude graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law, Donald was admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey in 2006.

Donald served for nine years as an Immigration Judge at the New York Immigration Court at Federal Plaza, one of the nation’s busiest Immigration Courts. During his tenure on the bench, he was selected by the Executive Office for Immigration Review to serve in two highly regarded capacities: as a mentor to newly appointed immigration judges, and as a training presenter responsible for the professional development of judges across the immigration court system. These appointments reflect the respect and confidence his colleagues and supervisors placed in his judgment, expertise, and commitment to the integrity of the adjudicative process.

Prior to his service as an Immigration Judge, Donald spent ten years as an Assistant Chief Counsel with the Department of Homeland Security, where he represented the government before the Immigration Court in removal, bond, and related proceedings. In that role, he also served as a trusted advisor and trainer to Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, counseling agents and officers on immigration law, enforcement procedures, and legal strategy. Having served on both sides of the immigration court docket—as a federal prosecutor, as a neutral adjudicator, and now as an advocate for individuals and families—Donald offers clients a depth of institutional knowledge and practical insight that is rare in the field of immigration law.