ASYLUMJUDGE · IMMIGRATION COURT PROFILE

Buffalo (BUF)

Buffalo, NY

FY 2026 · 2025-10-01 – 2026-07-01 · EOIR · These profile totals cover all available years; they are not this fiscal year’s court totals.

Decision approval rate5.2%

Judges13

Asylum decisions638

Approved / denied33 / 605 / 0

Court judges

Judge profiles · all available years

Select a judge to view yearly and nationality data

Judge profiles · all available yearsDecisionsGrantedDeniedOtherApproval rate

Susan F Aikman2020-01-23 – 2021-11-169268606.5%

Mary C. Baumgarten2020-01-03 – 2026-07-019647888608.1%

Steven J. Connelly2020-01-02 – 2025-11-26483163320033.7%

Brian Counihan2023-02-16 – 2026-06-081371012707.3%

Denise Hochul2020-01-02 – 2026-06-30529299230056.5%

Theresa Holmes-Simmons2020-01-09 – 2026-06-2216344119027.0%

Brandon Jaroch2022-12-13 – 2023-07-202020—Fewer than 50; rate hidden

Brandi Lohr2023-08-25 – 2026-07-0132883245025.3%

James M. Mccarthy2020-01-02 – 2026-06-241,059420639039.7%

Joy A. Merriman2020-01-13 – 2020-01-131010—Fewer than 50; rate hidden

Philip J. Montante Jr.2020-01-10 – 2022-11-224040—Fewer than 50; rate hidden

Walter H. Ruehle2020-01-02 – 2025-09-25922365557039.6%

Eric Schultz2023-01-19 – 2026-07-012462422209.8%

How court data is calculated

Court approval rate is approved ÷ (approved + denied) in this court’s database sample. Judge tenures and sample ranges vary, so court totals are for observation, not predicting a case.

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New York · State asylum data and judges

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