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 Natalie Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2008 from New York University and a Juris Doctor in 2012 from Fordham University School of Law. From 2021 to 2023, she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in New York. From 2012 to 2021, she served as assistant corporation counsel and then as an assistant borough chief and deputy borough chief in the Family Court Division of the New York City Law Department. She is a member of the New York State Bar and the Ohio State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
545
Completions per year
3,270 total
48%
Detained at decision
share of cases
10.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
17.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
130 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.
55.2%
Bond requests granted
603 bond decisions High confidence
$5,000
Median bond when set
325 bonds with amounts
0.6%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 55.2%
Court average 60.8% · median $5,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
20.6%
413 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
4.1%
567 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
30.8%
65 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
12.5%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
85.7%
77 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
66.8%
310 decisions High confidence
20.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 413 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
20.6%
This court
36.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 41% 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 · 373 decisions since 2021
22.3%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 40 decisions since 2021
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).