Patrick Shen is a partner in Fragomen's Government Strategies and Corporate Compliance Group. In this capacity, he works with U.S. and multinational clients to maintain compliant immigration programs.
Prior to rejoining Fragomen, Patrick was appointed by the President and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate as Special Counsel for Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. He also served as Policy and Planning Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security, and Chief Immigration Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Earlier in his career, Patrick spent several years as an immigration litigator for the Justice Department, having served as Assistant District Counsel of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and a trial lawyer in the United States Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, NY and the Justice Department in Washington, DC, representing INS and other agencies in federal courts. He also had a stint in private practice as Director of Government Relations for Fragomen prior to his presidential appointment.
Patrick is an adjunct professor at American University's Washington College of Law, and is a volunteer emergency medical technician with his local fire department in Maryland. He was a sports reporter in Taiwan before returning to the United States to attend law school.
Representative Experience
Represented employers across all sectors in immigration compliance audits by the U.S. government, and assisted them with self-audits.
Defended employers against charges of immigration-related employment discrimination before administrative law judges.
Advocated before Congress and federal agencies on behalf of the country's leading employers and trade associations for more efficient immigration and employment eligibility verification laws.
Handled numerous pro bono refugee and humanitarian parole cases.
Represented the United States government in hundreds of immigration-related cases before the federal district courts, courts of appeals, and administration tribunals between 1996 and 2003.
Memberships
American Immigration Lawyers' Association
Asian-Pacific American Bar Association
Asian-American Government Executives Network
Awards
Special Act Award, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice, 2003
Meritorious Award for Exemplary Service, Office of Immigration Litigation, U.S. Department of Justice, 2002
Director's Award for Superior Performance, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice, 2001
Sustained Superior Accomplishment Award, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Department of Justice, 1997