Appointed October 2005 · President George W. Bush→ Attorney General Alberto Gonzales(AG inferred from date)
20 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Thomas J. Mulligan earned a Bachelor of Science in 1974 from St. John's University, a Master of Professional Studies in 1978 from Long Island University, and a Juris Doctor in 1982 from St. John's University. Early in his career he was a New York City Police Academy instructor (1975-1977) and a police officer with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office (1977-1982). He was an associate attorney at Bigham Englar Jones & Houston (1982-1985) and then practiced at Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf and its predecessor firm (1985-2005). He was appointed as an immigration judge in October 2005 and is a member of the New York Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
792
Completions per year
4,753 total
1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
22.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
25.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
30.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
26 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.
42.9%⚠
Bond requests granted
7 bond decisions Too few cases
$9,000
Median bond when set
3 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 42.9%
Court average 35.8% · 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
82.3%
487 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
10.9%
266 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
90.9%⚠
22 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
96.2%⚠
26 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
19 decisions Too few cases
82.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 487 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
82.3%
This court
37.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 3% 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 · 464 decisions since 2021
84.3%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 23 decisions since 2021
43.5%
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).