On Friday, October 31, 2025, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) suspended attorney Steven Hosoda Burke from practicing before the BIA, Immigration Courts, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The suspension, lasting six months and one day, is effective retroactively from September 16, 2025.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Steven Hosoda Burke.”
The disciplinary action stems from a similar suspension imposed by the Supreme Court of Nevada on March 25, 2025, which also barred Burke from practicing law in that state for six months and one day. Following the Nevada ruling, the Disciplinary Counsel for the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Disciplinary Counsel for DHS jointly filed a petition on August 25, 2025, seeking Burke’s immediate suspension from practicing before federal immigration entities. The BIA granted this petition on September 16, 2025, initiating the suspension period.
According to the BIA, Burke failed to respond to the Joint Notice of Intent to Discipline, a document outlining the allegations against him. Under established regulations (8 C.F.R. § 1003.105), this failure to respond within the specified timeframe is considered an admission of the allegations. Consequently, Burke is barred from requesting a hearing to contest the disciplinary action.
The Joint Notice of Intent to Discipline proposed a suspension of six months and one day, mirroring the Nevada Supreme Court’s decision. BIA regulations dictate that the proposed sanction should be adopted unless compelling reasons exist to deviate from it (8 C.F.R. § 1003.105(d)(2)). Finding the proposed sanction appropriate given the Nevada suspension, the BIA upheld the proposed discipline.
The BIA has further ordered that Burke comply with all directives outlined in their prior order and notify the Board of any future disciplinary actions taken against him. The details of the suspension will be made public, including at Immigration Courts and DHS offices. Burke is eligible to petition the Board for reinstatement to practice before the BIA, Immigration Courts, and DHS, as outlined in 8 C.F.R. § 1003.107, following the completion of his suspension.
The Disposition states:
“The Board hereby suspends the respondent from practice before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Immigration Courts, and DHS for six months and one day, effective September 16, 2025.”
According to Avvo.com, Mr. Burke is an employment and labor attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
