Appointed October 2010 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
15 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Steven J. Connelly earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 and a Juris Doctor in 1986, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Before his appointment, he served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Buffalo (2003-2010), as a trial attorney and assistant district counsel with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in Buffalo (1994-2003), as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York (2000-2003), and in private immigration practice in Buffalo (1989-1994).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,053
Completions per year
6,317 total
13.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
4.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
15%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
49 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.
76.1%
Bond requests granted
769 bond decisions High confidence
$15,000
Median bond when set
562 bonds with amounts
0.3%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 76.1%
Court average 75% · median $12,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
33.6%
488 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
0.7%
690 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
44.4%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
80%⚠
15 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
95.5%
67 decisions Moderate
33.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 488 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
33.6%
This court
33.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 39% 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 · 394 decisions since 2021
39.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 94 decisions since 2021
9.6%
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).