Patrick Shen

Patrick is Fragomen's Director of Global Compliance and a senior member of the firm's Corporate Compliance Committee. In this capacity, he works with U.S. and multinational clients in maintaining compliant immigration programs.

Prior to rejoining Fragomen, Patrick was appointed by the President and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate as Special Counsel for Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. He also served as Policy and Planning Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security, and Chief Immigration Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Earlier in his career, Patrick spent several years as an immigration litigator for the Justice Department, having served as Assistant District Counsel of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and a trial lawyer in the United States Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn, NY as well as the Justice Department in Washington, DC, representing INS and other agencies in federal courts. He also had a stint in private practice as Director of Government Relations for Fragomen prior to his presidential appointment.

Representative Experience

Advocates before Congress and federal agencies on behalf of the country’s leading employers and trade associations whose objective is to create a more accurate eligibility verification program and a more efficient approach to enforcing immigration laws at the worksite.

Successfully obtained passage of legislative amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act to facilitate recruitment and entry of professional athletes from across the globe.

Represented the financial services and investment banking industry on all immigration-related matters before Congress and administrative agencies.

Assisted with refugee admission of Iraqi nationals who faced threats of persecution and death for aiding Western journalists.

Represented the United States government in hundreds of immigration-related cases before the federal district courts, courts of appeals, and administration tribunals between 1996-2003.