New York · est. 2013Friday, September 4, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Immigration judges

Bryan D. Watson

Immigration Judge, Atlanta W. Peachtree Street Immigration Court. Appointed April 2021.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Watson71.7%
Atlanta court82.4%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
198
Asylum granted
54
Other relief granted
2
Denied
142
Against own court
-10.7 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23
89%70%66%

Read from TRAC's chart to the nearest point. Years with fewer than 25 decisions are not shown.

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 91% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Guatemala (29.3%), Honduras (16.7%), Venezuela (16.7%), El Salvador (16.2%), Mexico (6.1%).

Official biography

Bryan D. Watson was appointed as an Immigration Judge to begin hearing cases in April 2021.Judge Watson ear ned a Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from the University of Missouri, a Juris Doctorin 1996 from the University of Missouri, a Master of Arts in 2006 from Air University, and a Master of Science in 2014 from the National Defense University. From 2019 to 2021, he serve das the Chief Trial Judge of the U.S. Air Force Trial Judiciary, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. From 2017 to 2019, he served as the Commandant of the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's School, at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. From 2014 to 2017, he served as the General Counsel of the White House Military Office, in the District of Columbia. From 1996 to2021, he served as a U.S. Air Force Active Duty Judge Advocate, in the following locations:Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Aviano Air Base, Italy; and the Pentagon, White House, Bolling Air Force Base, and Fort McNair, District of Columbia. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2021as a Colonel. Judge Watson is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Missouri Bar.

As published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review at appointment, via TRAC.

In the record

No published reporting or appellate decisions naming this judge have been collected yet.

Other judges at Atlanta

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.