Chicago Immigration Judge Reports — Asylum grants and denials, fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005

Chicago Immigration Judge Reports — Asylum Grants and Denials

The data and analyses is from The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), a data gathering, data research and data distribution organization associated with Syracuse University. Comprehensive, independent and nonpartisan information about U.S. federal immigration enforcement.
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"Judge O. John Brahos was appointed as an Immigration Judge in October 1982. He received an undergraduate degree in 1956 from De Paul University, College of Commerce, and a Juris Doctorate from De Paul University, College of Law, in 1959. Prior to joining the Executive Office for Immigration Review, he served as general attorney, trial attorney, supervisory general attorney, and attorney examiner from 1971 to 1982 for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in Chicago. Judge Brahos also served as an alternate member on the Board of Immigration Appeals in 1991, 1993, and 1994. He is a member of the Illinois Bar.

Judge Brahos decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Brahos is recorded as deciding 649 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 172, gave 2 conditional grants, and denied 475. Converted to percentage terms, Brahos denied 73.2 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 26.8 percent.

For Judge Brahos , the largest group of asylum seekers appearing before him came from Guatemala . Individuals from this nation made up 9.6 % of his caseload. Other nationalities in descending order of frequency appearing before Judge Brahos were: China (8.8 %), Yugoslavia (7%), El Salvador (5.8%), Bulgaria (4.9%).

In the nation as a whole during this same period, major nationalities of asylum seekers, in descending order of frequency, were China (22.3%), Haiti (9.3%), Colombia (9.1%), Albania (4.0%), India (3.9%), Guatemala (3.4%), Indonesia (3.0%), El Salvador (2.4%), Armenia (2.1%), Mexico (1.9%), and Russia (1.9%)."
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"Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan was appointed Immigration Judge in December 2000. He received his B.A. from Evangel College in 1975 and his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1978. Judge Der-Yeghiayan was selected in 1978 as a trial attorney for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Chicago under the Attorney General's Honor Program. In 1981, he was promoted to the position of district counsel for the Chicago District of the INS where he served until his appointment as an Immigration Judge in December 2000. He received the INS "District Counsel of the Year" award in 1998 and the Frank J. McGarr award for "Outstanding Government Attorney of the Year" in 1986 from the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He is a member of the Illinois Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2000, Der-Yeghiayan was appointed, under the Clinton administration, an immigration judge in the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review. On April 6, 2001, Der-Yeghiayan was sworn in as an Immigration Judge. President George W. Bush nominated him on March 5, 2003 for the district court seat vacated by Marvin E. Aspen, and the Senate unanimously confirmed him on July 14, 2003.

Detailed data on Judge Der-Yeghiayan decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2003. During this period, Judge Der-Yeghiayan is recorded as deciding 258 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 80, gave 1 conditional grants, and denied 177. Converted to percentage terms, Der-Yeghiayan denied 68.6 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 31.4 percent." ____________________________________________________________

"Judge Jennie L.Giambastiani was appointed as an Immigration Judge in May 2002. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1983 from Loyola University of Chicago, and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University School of Law in 1986. Prior to becoming an Immigration Judge, from April 1987 until May 2002, Judge Giambastiani served as district counsel, deputy district counsel, assistant district counsel, and supervisory legalization officer for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in Chicago. Judge Giambastiani is a member of the Illinois Bar.

Detailed data on Judge Giambastiani decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Giambastiani is recorded as deciding 274 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, she granted 101, gave 12 conditional grants, and denied 161. Converted to percentage terms, Giambastiani denied 58.8 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 41.2 percent.

For Judge Giambastiani , the largest group of asylum seekers appearing before her came from China . Individuals from this nation made up 16 % of her caseload. Other nationalities in descending order of frequency appearing before Judge Giambastiani were: Guatemala (10.2 %), Albania (8.7%), Iraq (4%), Ukraine (4%)."
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"Judge James R. Fujimoto was appointed as an Immigration Judge in June 1990. He received an undergraduate degree in 1976 from the University of Chicago, and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University in 1979. Judge Fujimoto was a partner in the law firm of Alexander, Fennerty & Fujimoto in Chicago from 1981 to 1990. From 1978 to 1981, he served as a law clerk and then associate attorney for Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, also in Chicago. Judge Fujimoto is a member of the Illinois Bar.

Detailed data on Judge Fujimoto decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Fujimoto is recorded as deciding 736 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 222, gave 9 conditional grants, and denied 505. Converted to percentage terms, Fujimoto denied 68.6 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 31.4 percent."
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"Judge Carlos Cuevas was appointed as an Immigration Judge in February 1994. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University in 1979, and a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University, College of Law, in 1982. From 1989 to 1994, Judge Cuevas served as an administrative law judge with the Illinois Human Rights Commission in Chicago. From 1986 to 1989, he was in private practice in Chicago. Judge Cuevas served as an attorney with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago from 1982 to 1986. He is a member of the Illinois Bar. Detailed data on

Judge Cuevas decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Cuevas is recorded as deciding 703 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 314, gave 20 conditional grants, and denied 369. Converted to percentage terms, Cuevas denied 52.5 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 47.5 percent.

For Judge Cuevas , the largest group of asylum seekers appearing before him came from Guatemala . Individuals from this nation made up 12.2 % of his caseload. Other nationalities in descending order of frequency appearing before Judge Cuevas were: China (7 %), Yugoslavia (5.6%), Albania (5.5%), El Salvador (4.6%)." __________________________________________________________

"Judge Craig M. Zerbe was appointed as an Immigration Judge in August 1985. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree. from La Salle College in 1970, and a Juris Doctorate from Temple University Law School in 1975. From 1980 to 1985, Judge Zerbe served as general attorney in the Litigation Division at the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in Chicago. From 1970 to 1972, he served in the U.S. Army. Judge Zerbe is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.

Detailed data on Judge Zerbe decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Zerbe is recorded as deciding 773 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 318, gave 9 conditional grants, and denied 446. Converted to percentage terms, Zerbe denied 57.7 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 42.3 percent.

For Judge Zerbe , the largest group of asylum seekers appearing before him came from China . Individuals from this nation made up 9 % of his caseload. Other nationalities in descending order of frequency appearing before Judge Zerbe were: Guatemala (8.8 %), Albania (7.5%), Bulgaria (4.9%), Pakistan (4.8%)." ___________________________________________________________

"Judge Robert D. Vinikoor was appointed as an Immigration Judge in January 1984. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware in 1971, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore in 1976. From 1982 to 1984, he was a special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago. He also served as trial attorney in Chicago, and general attorney in Miami, Florida, with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1976 to 1982. Judge Vinikoor also serves as an adjunct professor at Loyola University School of Law. Judge Vinikoor is a member of the Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois Bars.

Detailed data on Judge Vinikoor decisions are available for the period covering fiscal year 2000 through the early months of 2005. During this period, Judge Vinikoor is recorded as deciding 1015 asylum claims on their merits. Of these, he granted 239, gave 19 conditional grants, and denied 757. Converted to percentage terms, Vinikoor denied 74.6 percent and granted (including conditional grants) 25.4 percent.

For Judge Vinikoor, the largest group of asylum seekers appearing before him came from China . Individuals from this nation made up 11 % of his caseload. Other nationalities in descending order of frequency appearing before Judge Vinikoor were: Guatemala (9.7 %), Albania (5%), Somalia (4.1%), El Salvador (3.6%)."