Appointed August 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge George Pappas earned a Bachelor of Science in 1982 from the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Bachelor of Laws in 1998 from the University of London, a Master of Laws in 2000 from Widener University School of Law, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2014 from Birkbeck School of Law, University of London. From 2003 to 2023, he operated a private law practice focusing on immigration, family law, criminal law, and civil litigation, and provided pro bono services to organizations including the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and the PAIR Project. Judge Pappas is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the Massachusetts Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
643
Completions per year
3,858 total
0.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
18.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
2.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14%
Appeals remanded or reversed
93 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.
100%⚠
Bond requests granted
4 bond decisions Too few cases
$5,500
Median bond when set
4 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 100%
Court average 26.6% · median $6,000
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%
394 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
17.1%
504 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
3.7%⚠
27 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
93.8%⚠
16 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
97.1%⚠
34 decisions Too few cases
34%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 394 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
34%
This court
45.6%
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 · 376 decisions since 2021
35.1%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 18 decisions since 2021
11.1%
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).