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 Lena Golovnin earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from Hunter College and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. From 2010 to 2018, she served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of the Chief Counsel in New York. She previously served as an attorney advisor for the Executive Office for Immigration Review in New York (2009-2010) and in San Antonio, Texas (2008-2009). Judge Golovnin is a member of the New York State Bar and the State Bar of Michigan.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,178
Completions per year
7,067 total
9.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
18.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
19.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
11.5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
26 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.
36.8%⚠
Bond requests granted
19 bond decisions Too few cases
$7,500
Median bond when set
10 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 36.8%
Court average 0% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
55.1%
792 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
5.8%
565 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
84%
119 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.2%
63 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
96.1%
76 decisions Moderate
55.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 792 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
55.1%
This court
57.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 15% 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 · 743 decisions since 2021
57.6%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 49 decisions since 2021
16.3%
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).