ASYLUMJUDGE · IMMIGRATION JUDGE PROFILE
Walter H. Ruehle
Buffalo (BUF) · Buffalo, NY
Walter H. Ruehle is listed with Buffalo (BUF). The database records 922 asylum outcomes: 365 approved, 557 denied, and 0 other outcomes. Historical statistics are informational and cannot predict an individual case. · 2020-01-02 – 2025-09-25
Yearly changes
Yearly asylum decision trend
Fiscal yearDecisionsGrantedDeniedOtherApproval rate
FY 202522588137039.1%
FY 20241738291047.4%
Applicant origin
Asylum decisions by fiscal year and nationality
FY 2026 · 2025-10-01 – 2026-07-01 · EOIR
NationalityDecisionsGrantedDeniedOtherApproval rate
Official appointment record
Judge background and appointment
Official biography
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Walter Hammele Ruehle to begin hearing cases in September 2016. Judge Ruehle earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the State University of New York at Oneonta and a Juris Doctor in 1979 from the Union University Albany Law School. From 1993 to September 2016, he served in various capacities for the Legal Aid Society, including as an attorney, director of the Immigration Program, and director of the Upstate New York Immigration Law Project. From 1991 through 1993, he served as an associate attorney for the Law Offices of James J. Piampino, in Rochester, N.Y. From 1990 through 1991, he served as a staff and directing attorney for the Neighborhood Legal Services, in Hartford, Conn. From 1979 through 1990, he served in various capacities for the Farmworker Legal Services of N.Y., including as a staff attorney, supervising and managing attorney, litigation director, and legal consultant. In 2012 and 2013, he also served as an adjunct professor at the Cornell Law School. Judge Ruehle is a member of the Connecticut Bar and the New York State Bar.
Education: Judge Ruehle earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 from the State University of New York at Oneonta and a Juris Doctor in 1979 from the Union University Albany Law School.
Bar admission: Judge Ruehle is a member of the Connecticut Bar and the New York State Bar.
Executive Office for Immigration Review Swears in 15 Immigration Judges (2016-09-26) →
This page shows only verifiable official appointment and biography records. No departure record does not confirm current service; personnel changes are labeled only with reliable sources.
How to read approval rates
Decision approval rateis approved ÷ (approved + denied). Blue “Other” is shown separately and includes identifiable withholding/CAT protection, cancellation or adjustment, voluntary departure, withdrawal, termination, dismissal, and administrative closure; it is excluded from the rate denominator.Approved share of all outcomesuses approved, denied, and other outcomes in the denominator.
With small samples, a few cases can move the percentage sharply. The page flags samples below 50 and below 200 decisions.
View methodology and sources →
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