# John P. Burns Assistant Chief Immigration Judge · New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Current judicial service Source-supported judicial service. - [New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ny/new-york-federal-plaza-immigration-court) — Assistant Chief Immigration Judge - [Brasher Town Court](/kyj/court/ny/brasher-town-court-st-lawrence-ny) — Town Justice · Current service unconfirmed - [Hopkinton Town Court](/kyj/court/ny/hopkinton-town-court-st-lawrence-ny) — Town Justice · Current service unconfirmed Service sources and dates - [DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/immigration-judge-directory) - [DOJ/EOIR role evidence — John P. Burns](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings) - [Judicial service source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/new-york-broadway-immigration-court) - [Judicial service source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/new-york-federal-plaza-immigration-court) Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 6,105 Relief granted 66 1.1% Denied / removal ordered 4,787 78.4% Other / procedural 1,252 20.5% National comparison for this selection: 9,249,024 outcomes; 10.0% relief granted; 52.0% denied / removal ordered; 38.0% other / procedural. Methodology and sources These are proceeding outcomes, not asylum application statistics. Completion years use EOIR COMP_DATE; 2026 contains partial-year data. Relief granted, denied / removal ordered and other / procedural exhaust the recorded outcomes. Groups of one are included. Historical outcomes do not establish a current assignment. Counts describe recorded cases and do not predict an individual's result. [Official EOIR case data](https://fileshare.eoir.justice.gov/EOIR%20Case%20Data.zip) · Source date: Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:14:27 GMT Asylum decisions and other statistics ## Analytics Published EOIR records include 1,734 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 36 (2.1%) and denied in 1,697 (97.9%); 1 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Appointed as an Immigration Judge in December 2020 by Attorney General William P. Barr - Prior to his appointment, he held the role of Assistant Chief Counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York from 2016 to 2020 ### Education - Fordham University School of Law in — J.D. (2009) - Beloit College in — B.A. (2004) ### Additional information - Highly experienced attorney with both legal and military backgrounds, serving as an Immigration Judge in New York City since 2020. - Burns has also held the role of an officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the New York Army National Guard since 2013 and is a member of the New York State Bar - In 2025, it was reported that Judge Burns began using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to produce audio recordings of his courtroom decisions. - During 2016–2017, he deployed to Kuwait and Iraq in support of military operations. - Notable for his extremely low asylum approval rates and for pioneering the use of AI to read court decisions aloud. - representing the government in removal proceedings and appeals. - His record and practices have made him a subject of scrutiny among immigration advocates and legal observers ## Sources Identity source checked August 19, 2026 . Biography sources checked August 19, 2026 . ### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 19, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.1 - Delivery and Receipt Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 30, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.3 - Documents ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.10 - Interpreters ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.11 - Courtroom Decorum ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.12 - Electronic Devices ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.15 - Individual Calendar Hearing ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ### DOJ/EOIR role evidence — John P. Burns Judge Specific source · HTML · Source checked September 14, 2026 ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ### Current EOIR official staff directory Current EOIR Official Staff Directory source · HTML · Source checked October 7, 2026 ### Current EOIR official staff directory [Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections) ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.1 — Delivery and Receipt](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-c9195b4f0bba01a19aa8df41) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-1). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 3.11 — Courtroom Decorum](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8d8e8e8bf80478864645291a) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-3-11). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.3 — Documents](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-53ee093be24c18a5d1a93046) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-3). Collected 2026-10-27.