Los Angeles — N. Los Angeles Street, CA Immigration Court
Appointed June 2016 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
10 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Nathan N Aina earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1997, a Master of Public Administration degree, and a Juris Doctor in 2001, all from Brigham Young University. From 2002 to May 2016, he served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, having entered through the Attorney General's Honors Program. He is a member of the Utah State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,298
Completions per year
7,791 total
1.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
5.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
18.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
354 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.
16.7%⚠
Bond requests granted
6 bond decisions Too few cases
$4,000
Median bond when set
2 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 16.7%
Court average 0% · 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
45.2%
992 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3%
987 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
16.7%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
57.1%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
22 decisions Too few cases
45.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 992 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
45.2%
This court
29.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 25% 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 · 936 decisions since 2021
47.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 56 decisions since 2021
7.1%
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).