What is Judge Nicole I. Wells's background?
EOIR's notice says that Nicole I. Wells was appointed in May 2026. Judge Wells earned a Bachelor of Science in 2008 from Edgewood University (formerly Edgewood College) and a Juris Doctor in 2012 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. From December 2024 to April 2026, she served as a general attorney with the Ethics, Labor, Employment Division of the Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Minneapolis. From June 2015 to December 2024, she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS, in the following locations: Los Angeles (2015-2016), Las Vegas (2016-2019), and Minneapolis (2019-2024). From September 2012 to June 2015, she served as a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor at the Salt Lake City Immigration Court (2012-2014) and attorney advisor at the Charlotte Immigration Court (2014-2015) entering on duty through the Attorney General’s Honors Program.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Nicole I. Wells 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 Santa Ana 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.