Appointed September 1995 · President Bill Clinton→ Attorney General Janet Reno(AG inferred from date)
30 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Mirlande Tadal earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hofstra University in 1979 and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law in 1982. From 1985 to 1989 she served as an attorney investigator for the New York Commission on Human Rights, and from 1987 to 1989 as an attorney and supervisor for the Volunteers of Legal Services. From 1989 to 1995 she was a manager, attorney, and director of the Immigration Unit for Travelers Aid Immigration Legal Services in New York. She first served as an immigration judge in New York before transferring to the Elizabeth Immigration Court in May 1997. She is a member of the New York Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
129
Completions per year
647 total
40%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3.3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
11.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
31.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
79 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.
40.4%
Bond requests granted
94 bond decisions Moderate
$12,000
Median bond when set
41 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 40.4%
Court average 39.6% · median $6,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
18.8%⚠
48 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
10.8%
111 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
7.7%⚠
13 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
28.6%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
28.6%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
26.7%⚠
15 decisions Too few cases
18.8%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 48 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
18.8%
This court
19.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 44 decisions since 2021
20.5%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 4 decisions since 2021
0%
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).