Appointed February 2002 · President George W. Bush→ Attorney General John Ashcroft(AG inferred from date)
24 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Paul M Gagnon earned an undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1971 and a Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1977. He served in the U.S. Air Force and the New Hampshire Air National Guard and held several prosecutorial roles in New Hampshire, including Hillsborough County Attorney and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire (1993-2001). He was appointed an immigration judge in February 2002 and transferred to the Boston Immigration Court in April 2003.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
107
Completions per year
428 total
0.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
22 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 2 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 26.6% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
58.3%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
0%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
93.6%⚠
47 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
58.3%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 12 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
58.3%
This court
45.6%
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 · 12 decisions since 2021
58.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented
no data
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).