The Honorable Immigration Judge Adrian N Armstrong
Elizabeth, NJ Immigration Court
Appointed August 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Adrian N Armstrong earned a Bachelor of Science in 1984 from Longwood University and a Juris Doctor in 1990 from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Before his appointment, he served as a judge on the New York State Court of Claims and acting Supreme Court justice in Bronx County (2020-2023), as a judge on the Mount Vernon City Court and acting Family Court judge in Westchester County (2015-2020), as a law clerk with the New York State Office of Court Administration (1993-2015), and as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx County District Attorney's Office (1990-1993).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
400
Completions per year
2,401 total
55.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
35.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
115 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.
60.9%
Bond requests granted
860 bond decisions High confidence
$4,000
Median bond when set
537 bonds with amounts
1.3%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 60.9%
Court average 39.6% · median $6,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
25.9%
112 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
11.1%
271 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
15.4%⚠
13 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
60%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
71.4%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
70.2%
168 decisions Moderate
25.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 112 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
25.9%
This court
19.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 50% 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 · 94 decisions since 2021
30.9%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 18 decisions since 2021
0%
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.
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).