Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court.
Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Abraham L Burgess earned a Bachelor of Science in 1999 from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the Boston University School of Law. From 2003 to 2011 he served as a judge advocate for the U.S. Army, with assignments in South Korea, Germany, Romania, and Virginia. From 2012 to 2019 he served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Texas and California. He is a member of the Massachusetts State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,084
Completions per year
12,506 total
1.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
17.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
7.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
287 appeals decided
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
63.6%⚠
Bond requests granted
11 bond decisions Too few cases
$10,000
Median bond when set
7 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 63.6%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
28.5%
655 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.4%
903 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
49.4%
83 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
85.7%⚠
14 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
85.2%
81 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
99.1%
115 decisions Moderate
28.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 655 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
28.5%
This court
20.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 47% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 585 decisions since 2021
28.7%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 70 decisions since 2021
27.1%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).