United States immigration court judges will undergo periodic evaluations as part of a series of new measures aimed at reforming immigration reviews, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has announced. Immigration courts operate under the supervision of the Justice Department and a major review of practices began in January after previous reforms led to concerns that the immigration process had become undemocratic, and reports that some immigration judges were either rude to foreign nationals or incompetent in deciding cases. Gonzales' predecessor, John Ashcroft, overhauled immigration reviews in 2002, but his changes led to more asylum and other cases being decided by a single judge rather than a three-judge panel of the Bureau of Immigration Appeals. The Attorney General will now approach Congress for funding so additional immigration appeals judges can hired as part of the 22 new measures he hopes will overhaul the system.