The Honorable Immigration Judge Lionel C Martin
Conroe, TX Immigration Court
Appointed February 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Lionel C. Martin earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from the University of Houston Law Center. From 2022 to January 2026, he served as a labor and employment attorney with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and he was in private practice with various firms in Houston for much of 2002 to 2022. He served on active duty as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps and continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve JAG, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
194
Completions per year
194 total
90.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
4.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
35.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 3 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
0%⚠ |
21 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
0%⚠ |
39 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
8%⚠ |
25 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42A (LPR) | |
0%⚠ |
2 decisions Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
100%⚠ |
2 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
88.3% |
77 decisions Moderate |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 21 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 13 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 8 decisions since 2021
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).