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

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

Immigration judges

Elizabeth H. McGrail

Immigration Judge, Aurora Immigration Court. Appointed April 2013 by Eric Holder.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge McGrail77.8%
Aurora court77.4%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
257
Asylum granted
47
Other relief granted
10
Denied
200
Against own court
+0.4 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY22FY23FY24FY25
73%69%84%79%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 53% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Mexico (16%), Russia (12.5%), Venezuela (7.4%), Honduras (6.2%), Guatemala (4.7%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge McGrail in April 2013. Judge McGrail received a bachelor of arts degree in 1985 from Vanderbilt University and a juris doctorate in 1989 from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law. From 2008 to April 2013, she served as legal director at Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition (CAIR Coalition) in Washington, D.C. From 2007 to 2008, Judge McGrail served as an of counsel for the Law Office of Richard S. Bromberg in Washington, D.C. From 2005 to 2007, she served as the detention project director and legal consultant for CAIR Coalition. From 1994 to 2005, Judge McGrail was a solo practitioner in Washington, D.C. From 1991 to 1994, she was an associate at Wasserman, Mancini & Chang in Washington, D.C. From 1989 to 1990, Judge McGrail was an associate at Brown & Wood in New York. Judge McGrail is a member of the District of Columbia 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 Aurora

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.