Judge Michael M. Neal
How is this compared?
This judge: 60 of 2,726 (2.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 272 of 18,838 (1.4 %). 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, 2 got relief. The vast majority 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, 5 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (5.3 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 2,726 decisions, 60 ended with relief, 148 with the case closed, 405 with voluntary departure and 2,113 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 60 | 2.2 % |
| Case closed | 148 | 5.4 % |
| Voluntary departure | 405 | 14.9 % |
| Removal order | 2,113 | 77.5 % |
| Decided in absentia | 1,410 | 51.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Michael M. Neal, the share of cases with relief is 2.2 %: higher than at the Newark court (1.5 %) and similar than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Michael M. Neal, the share of removal orders is 77.5 %: lower than at the Newark court (83.0 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Michael M. Neal, the share of cases decided in absentia is 51.7 %: lower than at the Newark court (56.6 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Michael M. Neal, the share of people with an attorney is 41.7 %: higher than at the Newark court (34.9 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Michael M. Neal take about the same as at the Newark court: a median of 945 days versus 961.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 3 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 5 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 10 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 53 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 (485 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (94).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 108 | 7 | 50 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 154 | 2 | 30 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 149 | 2 | 36 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 94 | 3 | 29 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 97 | 0 | 22 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 132 | 3 | 33 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 296 | 13 | 110 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 253 | 0 | 125 | down |
| May 2026 | 208 | 3 | 91 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 485 | 22 | 303 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 275 | 1 | 205 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 475 | 4 | 376 | 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 Michael M. Neal is Ecuador (509), followed by Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and Peru. The highest share with relief was for people from Ecuador (1.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 509 | 1.0 % | 56.6 % |
| Guatemala | 383 | 0.8 % | 48.0 % |
| Honduras | 270 | 0.4 % | 60.0 % |
| Colombia | 267 | 0.4 % | 53.9 % |
| Peru | 212 | 0.0 % | 63.2 % |
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 | 1,136 | 5.3 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,590 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Newark Immigration Court: 2,408 decisions (88.3 %)
- Elizabeth Immigration Court: 318 decisions (11.7 %)