An openly gay, Filipino American federal prosecutor will serve as a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Senate confirmed Trump’s judicial nominee Patrick Bumatay on Tuesday, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Bumatay’s nomination was confirmed in a 53-40 vote. He is the 49th circuit appointee to be confirmed under the Trump administration.
Bumatay completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University and graduated from Havard Law School. According to Bloomberg Law News, Bumatay is currently an assistant U.S. attorney in Southern California. Much of his experience lies in the Justice Department. However, he has clerked for federal judges on the Eastern District of New York and the Tenth Circuit.
Many people have criticized Bumatay for his lack of appellate experience, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Both senators from California (Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris) did not support the nomination citing lack of experience.
Bumatay has also been criticized for his political positions, most notably his work with the Trump administration on policies that separated migrant families at the border. In April 2018, the administration asked Bumatay to consult on a memorandum to federal prosecutors outlining a zero-tolerance policy for misdemeanor illegal entry cases along the southwest border.
Bumatay himself is the son of Filipino immigrants who came to the US in the 1970s as physicians.
The 9th circuit is the nation’s largest appeals court. Its headquarters are located in San Francisco. Bumatay is expected to maintain chambers in San Diego.
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