Appointed July 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 Edwin Pieters earned a Bachelor of Science in 1987 from the State University of New York at New Paltz, a Master of Political Science/Governmental Law in 1992 from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College, a Master of Public Administration in 2000 from the City University of New York at Baruch College, a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College, and a Master of Laws in 2005 from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School. From 2018 to 2021, he served as a hearing officer for the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, and from 2006 to 2017 he served as an assistant district attorney at the Kings County District Attorney's Office in Brooklyn.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
456
Completions per year
1,368 total
0.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
36.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
27.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 11 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
59.3%
140 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
15.3%
118 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
40%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
59.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 140 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
59.3%
This court
57.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 13% 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 · 136 decisions since 2021
58.8%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 4 decisions since 2021
75%
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).