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 Elizabeth A. Cottor earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from the University of Arizona and a Juris Doctor in 1996 from William Mitchell College of Law. Before her appointment, she served as a deputy county attorney with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (1998-2000 and 2005-2019) and earlier worked in private practice and as an attorney in the Securities Division of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,479
Completions per year
8,873 total
12.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
15.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
19.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
62.5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
253 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
9.3%
890 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.8%
1,575 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
48.7%
232 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
83.3%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
91.7%
72 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
83.2%
316 decisions High confidence
9.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 890 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
9.3%
This court
13.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 17% 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 · 754 decisions since 2021
10.7%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 136 decisions since 2021
1.5%
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).