Judge Brian Counihan
How is this compared?
This judge: 8 of 1,324 (0.6 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 128 of 4,800 (2.7 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".
Decisions over 12 months
In plain words
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 1 got relief. Very few cases end with relief.
20 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (2.5 % and 0.1 %).
Of their 1,324 decisions, 8 ended with relief, 46 with the case closed, 363 with voluntary departure and 907 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 8 | 0.6 % |
| Case closed | 46 | 3.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 363 | 27.4 % |
| Removal order | 907 | 68.5 % |
| Decided in absentia | 270 | 20.4 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Brian Counihan, the share of cases with relief is 0.6 %: lower than at the Buffalo court (2.6 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Brian Counihan, the share of removal orders is 68.5 %: lower than at the Buffalo court (70.4 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Brian Counihan, the share of cases decided in absentia is 20.4 %: lower than at the Buffalo court (25.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Brian Counihan, the share of people with an attorney is 21.6 %: lower than at the Buffalo court (51.7 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Brian Counihan take longer than at the Buffalo court: a median of 920 days versus 729.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 8 of 8 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 6 of 8 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 8 of 8 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 21 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Apr 2026 (502 decisions) and the quietest Jul 2026 (13).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 37 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 51 | 2 | 0 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 74 | 3 | 0 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 59 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 61 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 34 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 79 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 502 | 0 | 269 | up |
| May 2026 | 308 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 38 | 0 | 1 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 13 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 68 | 3 | 0 | up |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
The nationality with the most decisions before Brian Counihan is Ecuador (273), followed by Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and Peru. The highest share with relief was for people from Guatemala (1.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 273 | 0.4 % | 8.4 % |
| Guatemala | 164 | 1.2 % | 21.3 % |
| Honduras | 105 | 0.0 % | 16.2 % |
| Colombia | 97 | 0.0 % | 25.8 % |
| Peru | 95 | 0.0 % | 49.5 % |
Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.
With and without an attorney
| Decisions | Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| With an attorney | 286 | 2.5 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,038 | 0.1 % |
Where this judge decides
- Newark Immigration Court: 756 decisions (57.1 %)
- Buffalo Immigration Court: 498 decisions (37.6 %)
- Pearsall Immigration Court: 41 decisions (3.1 %)
- Elizabeth Immigration Court: 29 decisions (2.2 %)