What is Judge Damona Taef Hakiman's background?
EOIR's notice says that Damona Taef Hakiman was appointed in May 2026. Judge Hakiman earned an Honors Bachelor of Arts and Science in 2004 from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the University at Buffalo Law School. From September 2017 to April 2026, she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Phoenix. During that time, from October 2024 until April 2026, she served as a Homeland Security Investigations embedded attorney, OPLA, ICE, DHS. From December 2016 to May 2017, she served as a deputy county attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix. From October 2010 to November 2014, she founded and served as principal of Taef Law Firm PLLC in Dallas.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Damona Taef Hakiman in 1 alphabetical row. The recorded title is Immigration Judge. The record is not an appointment history or an employment certification.
Dated court associations
EOIR’s court-specific tables associate this entry with Denver Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.
No outcome or personal-profile claims
This entry does not provide an asylum approval rate, predict a decision, or claim personal background not established by the cited source. Confirm the assigned judge and attendance details from your notice and the court. A change of judge does not by itself change deadlines or excuse attendance.