Appointed February 2016 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
10 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Blair O'Connor earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1992 from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from Valparaiso University School of Law. From 2002 to 2016 he served in the Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Litigation, holding roles as assistant director, senior litigation counsel, and trial attorney. Earlier, from 1996 to 2002, he served on active duty in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps as a legal assistance and claims attorney, prosecutor, appellate defense attorney, and law clerk to the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals. He was appointed a Board Member of the Board of Immigration Appeals in February 2016 and is a member of the Illinois Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
3
Completions per year
6 total
0%
Detained at decision
share of cases
84.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
33.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 0 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
50%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
0%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
50%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 4 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
50%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 4 decisions since 2021
50%
Without a lawyerunrepresented
no data
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).