Judge Shirley Lazare-Raphael
How is this compared?
This judge: 49 of 946 (5.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 832 of 20,322 (4.1 %). 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, 5 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
5 of every 10 cases were decided in absentia, without the person at the hearing. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.
With an attorney, 9 of every 100 got relief; without one, 2 of every 100 (9.0 % and 1.9 %).
Of their 946 decisions, 49 ended with relief, 28 with the case closed, 21 with voluntary departure and 848 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 49 | 5.2 % |
| Case closed | 28 | 3.0 % |
| Voluntary departure | 21 | 2.2 % |
| Removal order | 848 | 89.6 % |
| Decided in absentia | 442 | 46.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Shirley Lazare-Raphael, the share of cases with relief is 5.2 %: higher than at the New York court (4.2 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Shirley Lazare-Raphael, the share of removal orders is 89.6 %: higher than at the New York court (88.1 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Shirley Lazare-Raphael, the share of cases decided in absentia is 46.7 %: lower than at the New York court (53.0 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Shirley Lazare-Raphael, the share of people with an attorney is 45.6 %: lower than at the New York court (48.6 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Shirley Lazare-Raphael take less time than at the New York court: a median of 708 days versus 777.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 12 of 26 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 16 of 26 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 4 of 26 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 79 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jun 2026 (160 decisions) and the quietest May 2026 (42).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 99 | 6 | 48 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 80 | 8 | 26 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 55 | 4 | 18 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 44 | 3 | 18 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 98 | 0 | 39 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 70 | 0 | 29 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 91 | 0 | 48 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 92 | 6 | 35 | up |
| May 2026 | 42 | 3 | 11 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 160 | 4 | 129 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 67 | 7 | 24 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 48 | 8 | 17 | down |
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 Shirley Lazare-Raphael is Ecuador (282), followed by Guatemala, Honduras, Guinea and Dominican Republic. The highest share with relief was for people from Guinea (28.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 282 | 2.8 % | 40.1 % |
| Guatemala | 121 | 0.0 % | 72.7 % |
| Honduras | 77 | 0.0 % | 77.9 % |
| Guinea | 71 | 28.2 % | 2.8 % |
| Dominican Republic | 64 | 0.0 % | 60.9 % |
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 | 431 | 9.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 515 | 1.9 % |
Where this judge decides
- New York - Broadway Immigration Court: 925 decisions (97.8 %)
- LaSalle Immigration Court: 21 decisions (2.2 %)