Jonathan Scharfen, Acting Director, USCIS

Jonathan “Jock” Scharfen is currently serving as Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as of April 21, 2008.  Prior to this, Mr. Scharfen was appointed as the Deputy Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on June 22, 2006 by USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. In that position he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the agency and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the agency. Mr. Scharfen was responsible for managing all USCIS Directorates, including all Headquarters office components.

Mr. Scharfen retired from the United States Marine Corps in August 2003 after 25-years of active duty service. He also served as Chief Counsel/Deputy Staff Director of the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) until July 2006. Prior to joining the HIRC, he served as the Deputy Legal Adviser on the National Security Council staff, where he served three separate tours and three presidents during the course of his Marine Corps career.

Mr. Scharfen held a number of leadership and legal positions in the Marines. From 1978 to 1983 he served as a Marine infantry officer in various leadership billets. From 1985 to 1988 he served on the National Security Council, first as a legal fellow until 1986 and then returned as Staff Counsel and Assistant Legal Advisor until 1988. He served as trial counsel and staff judge advocate for various commands at Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendelton, from 1988 to 1991, and deployed with the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade for Operation Desert Storm. From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Scharfen served as Special Counsel, Environmental Law, Western Area Counsel Office. He then served as Associate Counsel, Land Use, Office of the Counsel for the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In 1998 he was selected to command Company A, Marine Security Guard Battalion, which had oversight of twenty US Embassy and Consulate Marine Security Guard Detachments throughout the U.S. European Command's area of responsibility, including Central Asia. He was responsible for the opening of twelve new security detachments in addition to the twenty existing detachments. In 2000 he returned to the National Security Council staff as Deputy Legal Advisor and Director until he assumed the role as Chief Counsel of the House International Relations Committee in April 2003 and Deputy Staff Director in 2006.

Mr. Scharfen received his B.A. from the University of Virginia, his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame, and his LL.M. from the University of San Diego. He also attended the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where he studied National Security Strategy. He is married to the former Diane Pauahi Lee and has three children.