Erez Reuveni is an experienced attorney who has served for almost 15 years at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he last served as Acting Deputy Director and Senior Counselor in the Office of Immigration Litigation in the Civil Division.
He is famous for his strict litigation practice and defense of the rule of law and has represented the government in high-profile and controversial immigration cases across administrations. In 2025, Reuveni became the focus of a whistleblower complaint after he was fired, casting serious doubt on ethics and compliance with court injunctions within the DOJ.
Erez Reuveni Biography | |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Erez Reuveni |
| Birth Date: | 1981 |
| Age (Approx.): | 45 Years |
| Birthplace: | West Coast, USA |
| Height: | – |
| Wife: | – |
Early Life
Erez Reuveni is believed to have been born in 1981. This estimation is based on a July 2025 profile in The New Yorker that described him as 44 years old at the time. Since the article appeared after his birthday that year, it’s likely he turned 44 earlier in 2025, placing his birth year in 1981.
He grew up on the U.S. West Coast and is the older of two children born to academic scientists who emigrated from Israel. A graduate of Boston University School of Law, summa cum laude, he was a Law Review editor and moot court finalist and holds a magna cum laude undergraduate degree in politics, economics, and Near Eastern studies and graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University.
After law school, he clerked in prestigious positions with Judge Jon O. Newman on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and Chief Judge Mark Wolf in the District of Massachusetts. He was also a litigation associate at the law firm Morrison & Foerster and subsequently a fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School, experiences that taught him to be disciplined and intellectually rigorous in his approach to litigation.
Erez Reuveni Career
Before joining the firm, Erez Reuveni worked for almost 15 years in the DOJ Civil Division, specializing in immigration and constitutional law. He has been involved in the legal defense of significant federal policies, such as the Trump administration’s travel bans, as well as enforcement actions with asylum and immigration proceedings under Democratic and Republican administrations.
Erez Reuveni was a man described as a classic career lawyer who was equally aggressive in seeking the side of the government, irrespective of its political roots, something that was observed by his fellow professionals.
In March 2025, Reuveni became an acting deputy director of the Office of Immigration Litigation. However, his career changed drastically a month later when he presided over a federal hearing concerning the deportation of a Salvadoran man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Erez Reuveni acknowledged that important government facts were not available and that the deportation was probably done in contravention of a court order—an acknowledgment that made the court issue directions to have the man sent back to the U.S.
Soon after, the leadership of the DOJ put Reuveni on paid administrative leave, arguing that he lacked the zeal to defend the position of the government. Reuveni countered by submitting a whistleblower complaint, claiming that the senior DOJ officials had promoted disregarding judicial decisions in politically hot immigration cases.
He released internal correspondence indicating opposition to court orders. His grievance has attracted much concern among legal scholars, congressional oversight organizations, and advocacy organizations focused on DOJ ethics and accountability.
His actions were hailed as a moral gesture of courage, and his supporters characterized him as not a partisan crusader but a person of principle who was defending the rule of law. In contrast, the DOJ head office, invoking loyalty policies by the then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, reasoned that Reuveni acted in a manner that deserved disciplinary measures.
Personal Life
Erez Reuveni is married, and it was reported that his wife is living in the United States illegally, without any immigration papers. This fact came to light as part of the wider news of his suspension and whistleblower complaint, which injected an element of complexity and personal struggle into his lifelong career as a litigator on immigration issues on behalf of the Department of Justice.
Although Reuveni himself has not discussed this issue publicly in detail, the disclosure has already generated curiosity among the general population, as his career has been dedicated to the enforcement of deportations.
Nevertheless, the controversy indicates no evidence that his status as a husband affected his courtroom manners and legal rulings directly, but the juxtaposition has attracted attention and discussion by the media and legal experts.
Social Media
Erez Reuveni has a very conspicuous non-presence on personal social media accounts, as he prefers to keep his life to himself, as well as his business. This is not due to direct interaction but rather official DOJ comments and quality press reporting that define his presence in the public. This low-key profile supports his reputation as a dedicated government servant who shuns the limelight.
Erez Reuveni Net Worth
The net worth of Erez Reuveni is not publicly available, as is normal with federal attorneys. His longstanding career at the DOJ, alongside prestigious clerkships and fellowships, leads one to believe that he would have earned a solid professional income in the six-figure government salary bracket.