Attorney Stephen Matthew Bander disbarred in immigration proceedings following Florida disbarment

In a July 10, 2023 filing, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Board of Immigration Appeals revealed the disbarment of attorney Stephen Matthew Bander in immigration proceedings. Bander has been barred from practicing before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This disciplinary action follows Bander’s prior disbarment by the Supreme Court of Florida.

The case is entitled “In the Matter of Stephen Matthew Bander.”

On May 11, 2023, the Supreme Court of Florida issued an order disbarring Bander from the practice of law in Florida, effective June 10, 2023. Subsequently, the Disciplinary Counsel for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and the Disciplinary Counsel for DHS jointly filed a Notice of Intent to Discipline and a Petition for Immediate Suspension based on Bander’s disbarment in Florida. The Board granted the Petition for Immediate Suspension on June 1, 2023, with an effective date of June 10, 2023.

Although Bander was given the opportunity to respond to the allegations outlined in the Notice of Intent to Discipline, he failed to do so within the prescribed timeframe. Consequently, his failure to respond constitutes an admission of the allegations, and he is now precluded from requesting a hearing on the matter.

As a result, the Board has adopted the proposed sanction in the Joint Notice of Intent to Discipline, thereby disbarring Bander from practicing before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Immigration Courts, and DHS, effective June 10, 2023. Bander is required to maintain compliance with the directives outlined in the Board’s prior order and must notify the Board of any further disciplinary actions against him.

The Disposition states:

“The respondent will be disbarred from practice before the Board of Immigration Appeals. the Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), effective June 10.2023.”

Mr. Bander is a lawyer from Miami, Florida. His info can be found on avvo.com.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.