# Nelson Vargas-Padilla Immigration Judge · [Baltimore Immigration Court](/kyj/court/md/baltimore-immigration-court) Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Nelson Vargas-Padilla at a glance Current role Immigration Judge Court [Baltimore Immigration Court](/kyj/court/md/baltimore-immigration-court) Current assignment [Baltimore Immigration Court](/kyj/court/md/baltimore-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Maryland · Federal Judicial service Active Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 8,074 Relief granted 879 10.9% Denied / removal ordered 4,618 57.2% Other / procedural 2,577 31.9% 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 1,988 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 686 (34.5%) and denied in 1,296 (65.2%); 6 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Appointed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to begin hearing cases in August 2018 - From 2001 to 2013, Vargas-Padilla held multiple roles with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Baltimore, including assistant chief counsel, senior attorney, and deputy chief counsel. - Early in his career, from 1996 to 2001, he held the role of an attorney advisor for the Board of Immigration Appeals at the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice, in Falls Church, Virginia - Nelson A. Vargas-Padilla is a highly experienced immigration judge with a strong background in U.S. immigration law, national security, and refugee affairs ### Education - J.D. — University at Buffalo School of Law (1994) - B.A. — State University of New York at Albany (1990) ### Additional information - Judge Vargas-Padilla has been recognized for his contributions to immigration law and public service, including receiving the NJSBA 2023 Distinguished Legislative Service Award. - Between 2013 and 2018, he worked with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as transformation counsel and litigation and national security counsel, including assignments in Kenya and Malaysia for the Refugee Affairs Division - He primarily presides at the Baltimore Immigration Court, with occasional hearings in other locations such as Elizabeth, NJ, and New York, NY - He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar. ## 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 ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings Judge Specific source · HTML · Source checked September 15, 2026 ### Current EOIR official staff directory Current EOIR Official Staff Directory source · HTML · Source checked October 7, 2026 [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.