IJ (Immigration Judge)
📊 Explore IJ data →Immigration judges (IJs) are attorneys appointed by the Attorney General to preside over immigration court proceedings within the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Unlike federal judges who enjoy lifetime appointments and constitutional protections of independence, immigration judges are executive branch employees who serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General.
There are currently over 600 immigration judges serving in approximately 70 immigration courts across the country. They are responsible for conducting removal hearings, making decisions on applications for relief (such as asylum, cancellation of removal, and withholding of removal), setting bond, and managing their dockets.
Immigration judges wield enormous power — their decisions determine whether individuals are allowed to remain in the United States or are deported. Yet they operate under significant constraints. They face mounting caseloads (some judges have over 4,000 pending cases), administrative pressure to meet case completion targets, and limited support staff compared to other judicial systems.
The lack of structural independence is a defining feature of the immigration court system. The Attorney General can issue decisions that bind all immigration judges, effectively setting legal precedent through a political appointee rather than an independent judiciary. Past Attorneys General have used this power to restrict asylum eligibility, limit continuances, and alter procedural rules.
Judge-to-judge variation in outcomes is striking. OpenImmigration data shows that asylum grant rates can vary from under 5% to over 90% depending on the assigned judge, even within the same court. This "judge roulette" effect means that the outcome of a case may depend as much on which judge hears it as on the merits of the claim.
The immigration judge corps has experienced significant hiring waves and attrition. Burnout, politicization, and working conditions have contributed to turnover, with the judges' union (NAIJ) advocating for independent court status.
Related Terms
EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review)
The Department of Justice agency that houses all U.S. immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals. EOIR employs the immigration judges who hear removal cases. It is separate from USCIS (which handles applications) and ICE (which handles enforcement).
BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals)
The appellate body within EOIR that reviews immigration judge decisions. Located in Falls Church, Virginia. Most appeals are decided by a single board member reviewing the record, not a full panel hearing.
Removal Proceedings
The formal process in immigration court where a judge determines whether a foreign national should be ordered removed (deported) from the United States or allowed to remain under some form of relief.
Grant of Relief
A favorable decision where the immigration judge allows the respondent to remain in the U.S. This includes asylum grants, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, withholding of removal, and other forms of protection.
Master Calendar Hearing
A short procedural hearing — typically a few minutes — where the judge confirms the charges, takes pleadings, sets future hearing dates, and addresses preliminary matters. Multiple cases are scheduled in the same block.