Appointed November 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
2 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Lucy Billings earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1970 from Smith College and a Juris Doctor in 1973 from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. From 2004 to 2023, she served as a New York State Supreme Court justice, and from 1998 to 2004 she was a New York City Criminal Court and Civil Court judge. From 1989 to 1997 and from 1982 to 1986, she was director of litigation for Bronx Legal Services, and from 1986 to 1989 she was staff counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Children's Rights Project.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
416
Completions per year
2,499 total
5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
10.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
31.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
13%
Appeals remanded or reversed
23 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.
74.7%
Bond requests granted
75 bond decisions Moderate
$5,000
Median bond when set
53 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 74.7%
Court average 35.8% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
55.4%
296 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
41.3%
230 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
33 decisions Too few cases
55.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 296 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
55.4%
This court
37.1%
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 · 252 decisions since 2021
59.9%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 44 decisions since 2021
29.5%
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).