What is Judge Stephen Harrell's background?
EOIR's notice says that Stephen Harrell was appointed in July 2026. Judge Harrell earned a Bachelor of Science in 2012 from Illinois State University and a Juris Doctorate in 2017 from the Northern Illinois University College of Law. From December 2020 to July 2026, he served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army, holding assignments as a special trial counsel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; as a military defense counsel at Fort Stewart, Georgia; and as a brigade judge advocate with the Illinois Army National Guard. He is currently serving as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve and holds the rank of captain. From August 2020 to February 2022, he served as a felony assistant state’s attorney at the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office in Bloomington, Illinois. From May 2018 to July 2020, he served as a misdemeanor assistant state’s attorney at the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office in Sycamore, Illinois.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Stephen Harrell 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 Chicago 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.