Appointed January 2020 · President Donald Trump→ Attorney General William P. Barr
6 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge David Norkin earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1995 from Bates College and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from The George Washington University Law School. In 2019, he served as court administrator for the Fishkill, Ulster, and Varick immigration courts. From 1999 to 2016, he served as a judge advocate, defense counsel, prosecutor, special assistant U.S. attorney, and appellate military judge at various U.S. Navy postings, including Naval Base San Diego, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Fleet Activities Yokosuka in Japan, and the Washington Navy Yard. Judge Norkin is a member of the Hawaii State Bar, Maryland State Bar, and New York State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,024
Completions per year
5,120 total
0.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
23 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
15.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
32 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.
75%⚠
Bond requests granted
4 bond decisions Too few cases
$13,750
Median bond when set
2 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 75%
Court average 35.8% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
70.6%
411 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
11.6%
232 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
61.1%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
94.4%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
70.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 411 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
70.6%
This court
37.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 7% 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
72.6%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 13 decisions since 2021
7.7%
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).