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 Vikram Badrinath earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from the University of Arizona. A certified immigration law specialist since 2001, he practiced as a senior immigration attorney in Arizona from 1998 to 2022, representing clients before the immigration courts and immigration agencies.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
902
Completions per year
5,415 total
10.5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
16.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
12.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
15.4%
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.
27.6%
Bond requests granted
163 bond decisions Moderate
$7,500
Median bond when set
150 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 27.6%
Court average 50% · median $20,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
70.4%
837 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
12.2%
403 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
14.3%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
0%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
50%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
82.4%
108 decisions Moderate
70.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 837 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
70.4%
This court
66%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 7% 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 · 669 decisions since 2021
70.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 168 decisions since 2021
70.2%
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).