EOIR Immigration Judge
EOIR resources / Immigration judges / Shayne M. Welling
Judge Shayne M. Welling
Sterling Immigration Court · Sterling, Virginia · Immigration Judge
Court Assignment
Sterling Immigration Court in Sterling, Virginia is this judge's listed court assignment and serves cases associated with Virginia. EOIR venue and transfer rules determine where an individual case is heard, so respondents should follow the location on their latest notice.
Immigration Judge Role and Case Types
Immigration judges are trial-level adjudicators who preside over removal proceedings. They decide whether a respondent is removable and consider applications for relief such as asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and cancellation of removal. They also hear bond matters when the court has jurisdiction. EOIR does not publish individual immigration judge decision statistics in the same way the Social Security Administration publishes Administrative Law Judge disposition statistics.
Professional Role
Shayne M. Welling was appointed as a temporary immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026. Judge Welling earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from West Liberty University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from West Virginia University College of Law. From July 2003 to March 2026, he served as a judge advocate with the West Virginia Army National Guard in the following locations: Baghdad, Iraq; Camp Dawson, West Virginia; Stuttgart, Germany; Poznan, Poland; Pirbright, England; Price Barracks, Belize; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Tikrit, Iraq; and Eleanor and Charleston, West Virginia. From June 2004 to May 2025, he was at the First Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corporation in Wheeling, West Virginia, serving in the following roles: chief public defender (November 2009-May 2025); and assistant public defender (June 2004- November 2009). From August 2002 to June 2004, he served as a judicial clerk at the Ohio County Circuit Court in Wheeling, West Virginia. He holds the rank of colonel. Judge Welling is a member of the West Virginia State Bar.
Immigration judges are attorneys appointed by the Attorney General. EOIR's published qualifications call for at least seven years of post-bar-admission legal experience. Judges serve as trial-level adjudicators in the immigration court system; they are not attorneys for either side.
Immigration Process and Respondent Resources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, court procedures, and enforcement policies can change. Deadlines and options depend on your case and the notices you received. Talk with a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative about your situation.