Brea C. Burgie
Immigration Judge, Denver Immigration Court. Appointed October 2019 by William P. Barr.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 789
- Asylum granted
- 374
- Other relief granted
- 39
- Denied
- 376
- Against own court
- -10.4 pts
| FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29% | 25% | 36% | 23% | 67% | 72% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 69% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: Colombia (24.3%), Mexico (17.2%), Honduras (10.5%), Guatemala (10%), El Salvador (8.1%).
Official biography
Attorney General William Barr appointed Brea C. Burgie to begin hearing cases in October 2019. Judge Burgie received a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from the University of Northern Colorado and a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. In2019, she served as the legal program director for the International Rescue Committee, in Denver. From 2016 to 2019, she served as the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review's (EOIR) fraud and abuse prevention counsel. From 2009 to 2011, sheserved as an attorney advisor through the Attorney General's Honors Program, Office of the General Counsel, EOIR, for the Phoenix and Tucson immigration courts. From 2008 to 2009, shewas the legal director for the Asylum Program of Arizona. From 2007 to 2008, she served as alaw clerk to the Honorable Ann A. Scott Timmer, formerly of the Arizona Court of Appeals. Judge Burgie is a member of the Arizona State Bar and Colorado State Bar.
In the record
Immigration judge who granted bond for high-profile detainee fired in wave of dismissals
Former Denver immigration judge Brea Burgie describes being fired in June 2026 after granting bond hearings, including to Jeanette Vizguerra, and after defying a DOJ memo instructing judges to halt such hearings.
Fired Colorado judge says immigration courts focus on rapid deportations, not due process
Denver Post reports Brea C. Burgie was reassigned off detained cases after publicly stating in court she would follow a district court bond-hearing order, then was fired without explanation while on vacation five months later.
Fired immigration court judge shares concerns about enforcement of asylum law
Brea Burgie tells CBS Colorado she was fired in June after granting bond to Jeanette Vizguerra and being publicly called an 'activist judge' by ICE, and that Denver's asylum grant rate fell from about 40% to 8% under new pressure.
Other judges at Denver
Court page →About these figures. Denial rates describe outcomes in the cases a judge happened to hear, which differ by detention, nationality and representation. They are not a measure of fairness or competence. Method and sources are on the judges index.