Appointed November 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
2 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Wendy Wedderburn earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from Hofstra University, a Juris Doctor in 2003 from Touro Law School, and a Master of Laws in 2006 from Hofstra University. From 2009 to 2023, she served as an administrative law judge with the New York State Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board in Hauppauge, New York. From 2006 to 2009, she served as an agency attorney for the New York City Administration for Children's Services in Queens. Earlier she was in-house counsel at Nationwide Insurance Company (2004-2006), volunteered as an attorney for the Refugee Assistance Program in New York (2003-2005), and served as a legal intern for the International Human Rights Asylum Clinic in Huntington, New York (2002-2003). She is a member of the New York State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
405
Completions per year
2,432 total
1.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
12.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
35.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 18 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
39.8%
327 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3%
369 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
39.8%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 327 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
39.8%
This court
37.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 31% 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 · 272 decisions since 2021
44.9%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 55 decisions since 2021
14.5%
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.
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).