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 Alec J Niziolek earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from Utica College of Syracuse University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the Indiana University-Bloomington Maurer School of Law. He was an associate attorney with Collins & Martin, PC in Connecticut (2003-2006), then served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from 2006 to 2022, including as an embedded attorney with Homeland Security Investigations (2020-2022). Judge Niziolek is a member of the Connecticut Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,706
Completions per year
10,239 total
6.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
22.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
3.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
12.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
49 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.
29.3%
Bond requests granted
99 bond decisions Moderate
$10,000
Median bond when set
27 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 29.3%
Court average 71.7% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
7.7%
479 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.1%
752 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
8.3%⚠
24 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
80%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
79.1%
134 decisions Moderate
7.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 479 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.7%
This court
22.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 13% 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 · 398 decisions since 2021
8.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 81 decisions since 2021
4.9%
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).