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 Andrew Stawar earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from New College of Florida and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from the Washington College of Law, American University. Before his appointment, he served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in Houston (2020-2024); as a supervisory immigration services officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Houston (2017-2020); and as an asylum officer at the Houston Asylum Office (2013-2017). Earlier he was a supervising immigration attorney at Pisgah Legal Services in Asheville, North Carolina (2010-2013) and in private practice in Clearwater, Florida (2008-2010).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
717
Completions per year
4,304 total
16.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
17.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
28.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 8 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
12.7%
Bond requests granted
55 bond decisions Moderate
$15,000
Median bond when set
35 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 12.7%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
4.1%
533 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.2%
1,008 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
4.5%⚠
22 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
80%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
46.2%
199 decisions Moderate
4.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 533 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
4.1%
This court
6.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 6% 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 · 372 decisions since 2021
5.6%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 161 decisions since 2021
0.6%
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).