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 David Russo earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from Tulane University and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from the Louisiana State University School of Law. He served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army at posts including Fort McPherson, Germany, Iraq, and Kuwait (2000-2008), as a partner with Herman & Russo PC in Woodstock, Georgia (2008-2011), as deputy state judge advocate for the Georgia National Guard (2011-2016), and as deployable field counsel with the Office of Chief Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency (2017-2020). He was appointed an immigration judge in March 2020 and is a member of the Georgia State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,145
Completions per year
12,869 total
3.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
22.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
45.3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
9.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
76 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.
40%⚠
Bond requests granted
5 bond decisions Too few cases
$8,000
Median bond when set
2 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 40%
Court average 19.4% · 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
34.1%
712 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
5.9%
1,195 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
44.4%⚠
45 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
99%
102 decisions Moderate
34.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 712 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
34.1%
This court
28%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 38% 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 · 688 decisions since 2021
35%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 24 decisions since 2021
8.3%
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).