Giuliani Campaign Press Release - Rudy Giuliani Campaign Announces Immigration Policy Advisors

The Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee today announced members of Rudy Giuliani's Immigration Advisory Board. The members are providing input on the Mayor's commitment to end illegal immigration, secure our borders and identify every non-citizen in our nation, one of Rudy's 12 Commitments to the American People.

The Mayor's advisors include well-respected law enforcement, immigration and homeland security experts. Serving as the Mayor's Chief Homeland Security Advisor is Robert Bonner, former Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency and former Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Stewart Verdery, Jr., the former Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the Department of Homeland Security, will serve as Senior Immigration Advisor. Other members of the advisory board include Victor Cerda, Michael Petrucelli, Nicolle Sciara Rippeon, Ray Shepherd, and Jan Ting.

"Mayor Giuliani is a leader on ending illegal immigration because he understands that protecting our homeland is our nation's most important priority," said Robert Bonner, Giuliani's Chief Homeland Security Advisor. "He recognizes the need for a national immigration policy that puts our nation's security first by ending illegal immigration, securing our borders and identifying every non-citizen in our nation."

"These accomplished advisors share Rudy's commitment to ending illegal immigration because they realize it is key to keeping Americans safe in the Terrorists' War on Us," said Bill Simon, the campaign's Policy Director. "We are proud to have these experienced professionals on board."

The advisors will assist in developing the Mayor's immigration policy based on his priority to recognize illegal immigration as a security problem for America that must be solved by enforcing immigration laws, identifying all non-citizens in our country and controlling America's borders.

About the Immigration Advisory Board Members:

Robert Bonner, Chief Homeland Security Advisor

Bonner is a partner in the Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, where he is a member of the firm's White Collar Defense and Investigations and Public Policy Practice Groups.

Bonner served as the first Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2003 to 2005, the agency of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for managing, controlling and securing the United States' borders while facilitating global trade and travel.

Bonner was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service in September 2001. Before that, his government service included serving as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 1990 to 1993, as U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California, and as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. Bonner was also a litigation partner in Gibson Dunn's Los Angeles office from 1993 to 2001, when he served as Co-Chair of the Business Crimes and Investigations Practice Group.

Bonner is a graduate of Georgetown Law School.

C. Stewart Verdery, Jr., Senior Immigration Advisor

Verdery founded the Monument Policy Group in 2006.

Verdery served as the first Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from 2003 to 2005. He helped develop and implement policies related to immigration, visas, and travel facilitation; cargo security and international trade; transportation security; and law enforcement, while supervising policy development at agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration. Among the major DHS policy initiatives Verdery spearheaded were the deployment of the U.S.-VISIT entry-exit program for foreign visitors, negotiation of an international data-sharing agreement with the European Union for airline passengers, development of U.S. immigration enforcement and visa policy.

Verdery served as general counsel to Sen. Don Nickles (R-OK), Assistant Senate Majority Leader, and as counsel to Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) on the Senate Judiciary Committee and directed the committee's crime unit. He also worked for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Verdery was also senior legislative counsel for Vivendi Universal Entertainment, an associate at the Washington office of law firm Baker & Hostetler, and a media analyst at the Media Research Center.

Verdery is an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a member of the Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future at the Migration Policy Institute. He received his B.A. from Williams College and his J.D. from the University of Virginia, and is class officer for his law school class.

Victor Cerda, Member, Immigration Advisory Board

Cerda practices immigration law in Washington D.C., focusing his practice on complex immigration matters including employer worksite enforcement, executive and entertainment visas, removal proceedings, and litigation.

Cerda concluded a 10-year government career in immigration where he served as the Acting Chief of Staff and Counsel to the Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security. He also served as the Acting Director of the Office of Detention and Removal Operations, where he managed DHS' national detention and removal operations and directed the work of approximately 4,000 employees, including over 2,000 sworn federal law enforcement officers.

Cerda also served as the Acting General Counsel for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Cerda is a native of Chicago and a graduate of Brown University. He received his Juris Doctorate from DePaul University. Cerda is the recipient of the Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Award for Exemplary Service.

Michael Petrucelli, Member, Immigration Advisory Board

Michael J. Petrucelli is currently the Vice President of Government & International Affairs at GridPoint, Inc. Before joining GridPoint, he served at the Department of Homeland Security as the Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services after previously working for two years as Deputy Director.

Petrucelli worked as the Senior Vice President for Operations and Chief of Staff of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He has also worked at the Federal Communications Commission in both the Office of the Commissioner and the Satellite & Radio Communications Division of the FCC's International Bureau. He has served as the Executive Director of the U.S.-Thailand Business Council and as Director for Thailand, Burma and Financial Services at the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council.

Petrucelli served as a U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer from 1992 to 1996. He is a graduate of Trinity College and has a master's degree in business administration from Goizueta Business School of Emory University and also studied international business at Nijenrode University in The Netherlands.

Nicolle Sciara Rippeon, Member, Immigration Advisory Board

Rippeon is currently a partner at ABM LLC, an advisory services firm specializing in federal strategic sales advice, marketing and message delivery, and government procurement techniques and policies. Previously she served as the Chief of Staff to Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security.

Rippeon was the Director for the Office of Policy and Planning and Deputy Chief of Staff for Commissioner Robert C. Bonner at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. She also worked for the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher in Washington and served as Law Clerk to U.S. District Court Judge, the Honorable Jorge Solis in Dallas, Texas.

Rippeon is a graduate of the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Ray Shepherd, Member, Immigration Advisory Board

Shepherd is a partner in the law firm of Venable, LLC, where he serves as the Chairman of the firm's Congressional Investigation Practice Group. Previously, he was the Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Shepherd advised private-practice clients on legal and political aspects of congressional and agency investigations. He gained significant trial experience through support of white collar litigation and pro bono work in the DC Superior Court.

Shepherd is a graduate of Yale College and received a law degree from George Washington University Law School.

Jan Ting, Member, Immigration Advisory Board

Jan Ting is a Professor of Law at Temple University, having joined the faculty in 1977. He served as the Director of the Graduate Tax Program from 1994 to 2001.

Ting worked under President George H.W. Bush as Assistant Commissioner at the Immigration & Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has written and researched extensively about national security and immigration law. Ting is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, the Center for Immigration Studies and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. He was also the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Delaware.

Ting is a graduate of Oberlin College and received a MA degree from the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii and a law degree from Harvard Law School.