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 Njeri B Maldonado earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Loyola University School of Law. From 2009 to 2016 she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Chief Counsel, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in Atlanta. She also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia (2012-2013) and was an associate attorney at Blue Williams LLP in Metairie, Louisiana (2005-2008).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,983
Completions per year
11,899 total
11.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
34.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
23.9%
Appeals remanded or reversed
117 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.
57%
Bond requests granted
128 bond decisions Moderate
$5,000
Median bond when set
74 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 57%
Court average 0%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
8.4%
596 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.9%
983 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
10.3%
145 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
80%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
93.1%⚠
29 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
95%
280 decisions High confidence
8.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 596 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
8.4%
This court
10.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 14% 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 · 492 decisions since 2021
9.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 104 decisions since 2021
3.8%
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).