Atlanta — W. Peachtree Street, GA Immigration Court
Appointed April 2021 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
5 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Bryan D. Watson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1993 and a Juris Doctor in 1996, both from the University of Missouri, a Master of Arts in 2006 from Air University, and a Master of Science in 2014 from the National Defense University. From 2019 to 2021 he served as chief trial judge of the U.S. Air Force Trial Judiciary; from 2017 to 2019 as commandant of the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's School; and from 2014 to 2017 as general counsel of the White House Military Office. He served as a U.S. Air Force judge advocate from 1996 to 2021, retiring as a colonel.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
520
Completions per year
2,079 total
1.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
20.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
4.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
49 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
27.7%
206 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
9.6%
323 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
5.3%
57 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.1%⚠
41 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
70.4%⚠
27 decisions Too few cases
27.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 206 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
27.7%
This court
10.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 48% 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 · 192 decisions since 2021
29.7%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 14 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).