The Honorable Immigration Judge Yeshaya Poyurs
Elizabeth, NJ Immigration Court
Appointed February 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
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Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Yeshaya Poyurs earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1989 from Union College, a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University, and a Master of Arts in 2018 from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. A judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, he served in 2024-2025 as a deputy associate general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel of the U.S. Army at the Pentagon, and previously as an attorney adviser for the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, among other assignments including a deployment to Poland. From 2002 to 2014 he worked primarily in private practice. He is a member of the Maryland State Bar, the Massachusetts Bar, and the New York State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
143
Completions per year
143 total
93.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
2.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
20.3%
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
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 39.6% · median $6,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
0%⚠ |
28 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
3.6% |
56 decisions Moderate |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
7.1%⚠ |
14 decisions Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
0%⚠ |
4 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
98.3% |
59 decisions Moderate |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 28 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 26 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 2 decisions since 2021
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).