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

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

Immigration judges

Clay N. Martin

Immigration Judge, San Antonio Immigration Court. Appointed June 2016 by Loretta E. Lynch.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Martin53.2%
San Antonio court41.2%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
171
Asylum granted
61
Other relief granted
19
Denied
91
Against own court
+12.0 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY22FY23FY24
46%52%64%

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: Honduras (45%), Guatemala (11.7%), Venezuela (11.1%), El Salvador (9.4%), Nicaragua (5.3%).

Official biography

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Clay N. Martin to begin hearing cases in June 2016. Judge Martin ear ned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984 from Hendrix College and a Juris Doctor in 1987 from the St. Mary's University School of Law. From 2008 through May 2016, Judge Martin served as a senior attorney for the Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). From 2002 through 2007, Judge Martin served as an assistant chief counsel for OCC, ICE, DHS. From 1995 through 2002, Judge Martin served as chief deputy prosecuting attorney for the 18th West Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney's Office, in Polk and Montgomery counties, Ark. From 1992 through 1995, Judge Martin served as an assistant district attorney for the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, in San Antonio. From 1989 through 1991, Judge Martin served as an attorney for Riddle and Brown, in Dallas. From 1988 through 1989, Judge Martin served as an attorney for Soules and Wallace, in San Antonio. From 1987 through 1988, Judge Martin served as an attorney for Hill, Heard, Oneal, Gilstrap & Goetz, in Arlington, Texas. Judge Martin is a member of the Arkansas Bar and the State Bar of Texas.

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 San Antonio

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.