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 Nelson A Vargas-Padilla earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from the State University of New York at Albany and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the University at Buffalo School of Law. From 1996 to 2001, he served as an attorney advisor at the Board of Immigration Appeals, and from 2001 to 2013 he held assistant chief counsel, senior attorney, and deputy chief counsel roles with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. From 2013 to 2018, he served in transformation counsel and litigation and national security counsel roles with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, including refugee affairs work in Kenya and Malaysia.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,521
Completions per year
9,124 total
2.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
25.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
30.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
13.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
75 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.
60%⚠
Bond requests granted
5 bond decisions Too few cases
$2,000
Median bond when set
3 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 60%
Court average 14.9% · 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
42.3%
982 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
5.5%
1,770 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
46.8%⚠
47 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.9%⚠
49 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.9%
157 decisions Moderate
42.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 982 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
42.3%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 28% 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 · 916 decisions since 2021
44.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 66 decisions since 2021
10.6%
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).