Appointed July 2021 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
5 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Megan R. Jackler earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from Barnard College and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from American University Washington College of Law. She worked as a litigation paralegal with Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York from 2003 to 2005. From 2009 to 2021 she served as a U.S. Navy judge advocate, stationed in Virginia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Afghanistan, and Japan. She is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,106
Completions per year
5,531 total
0.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
17%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 18 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
35.2%
122 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
5%
160 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
50%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
88.9%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
35.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 122 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
35.2%
This court
28.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 36% 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 · 88 decisions since 2021
39.8%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 34 decisions since 2021
23.5%
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.
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).