# Thomas B. Fighter Immigration Judge · [Orlando Immigration Court](/kyj/court/fl/orlando-immigration-court) Last updated October 7, 2026 ## Thomas B. Fighter at a glance Current role Immigration Judge Court [Orlando Immigration Court](/kyj/court/fl/orlando-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Florida · Federal Judicial service Active Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 109 Relief granted 0 0.0% Denied / removal ordered 79 72.5% Other / procedural 30 27.5% 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 36 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 0 (0.0%) and denied in 36 (100.0%); 0 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Reserve — from 2012 - From 2008 to 2011, he was an associate in private practice with Payas, Payas & Payas in Orlando - an assistant state attorney with the State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida in Orlando — 2006–2008 - As deputy regional defense counsel, he supervised four defense teams consisting of attorneys and paralegals - Assigned to the Orlando Immigration Court, which is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the U.S. Department of Justice agency that adjudicates immigration cases - Army legal assignments included special victim counsel, trial counsel, brigade judge advocate with 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, deputy regional defense counsel with U.S. Army Legal Command Trial Defense Services, and the Joint Task Force Guantánamo Bay Staff Judge Advocate office ### Education - University of San Diego School of Law — J.D. (2006) - University of Miami — B.B.A., Finance, 2000 ### Additional information - The record notes that eOIR’s May 21, 2026 announcement lists Thomas B. Fighter among the 77 newly appointed immigration judges, marking the largest class in the agency’s history. - From 2011 to April 2026, he was the owner and chief executive officer of Fighter Law in Orlando, where he founded and managed a multi-practice litigation firm handling criminal defense, injunction proceedings, family law, and personal injury matters. - Each asylum case is decided on its own facts and legal merits, independent of a judge’s historical record - His military service includes deployments to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. - Judge Fighter is a member of the Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. ## 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) ## Service record and verification - [Orlando Immigration Court](/kyj/court/fl/orlando-immigration-court) · Immigration Judge · Current · present - [Orlando Immigration Court](/kyj/court/fl/orlando-immigration-court) · Immigration Judge · Historical or current service unconfirmed ## 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.