Appointed August 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Justin McEwen earned a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Utah University in 1999, a Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2002, and a Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy from California Western School of Law in 2013. He served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy from 2003 to 2023, culminating as Circuit Judge for Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland appointed him to the Boston Immigration Court in August 2023.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
584
Completions per year
3,507 total
0.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
30 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 8 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
33.3%⚠
Bond requests granted
3 bond decisions Too few cases
$10,000
Median bond when set
1 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 33.3%
Court average 60.8% · 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
42.9%
282 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
16.2%
260 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
31.6%⚠
19 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
29 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
96.4%⚠
28 decisions Too few cases
42.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 282 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
42.9%
This court
36.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 27% 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 · 280 decisions since 2021
42.9%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 2 decisions since 2021
50%
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).