Appointed November 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
2 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Amy K Zaske earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Before her appointment, she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis-Saint Paul (2007-2023) and as an unemployment law judge with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (2007). She is a member of the Minnesota State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
739
Completions per year
4,433 total
4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
13.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
41.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
13.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
22 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.
45.5%⚠
Bond requests granted
11 bond decisions Too few cases
$8,000
Median bond when set
5 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 45.5%
Court average 39.1% · median $5,000
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%
323 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
0.9%
563 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
10%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
83.3%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
71.4%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
89.5%
76 decisions Moderate
7.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 323 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.7%
This court
16.7%
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 · 274 decisions since 2021
8.8%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 49 decisions since 2021
2%
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).