Jem C. Sponzo
Immigration Judge, New York/Federal Plaza Immigration Court. Appointed February 2017 by Loretta E. Lynch.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 842
- Asylum granted
- 545
- Other relief granted
- 45
- Denied
- 252
- Against own court
- -17.8 pts
| FY21 | FY22 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21% | 4% | 2% | 13% | 89% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 94% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: China (28.4%), India (15.4%), Bangladesh (9.3%), Ecuador (5.1%), Russia (5%).
Official biography
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch appointed Jem C. Sponzo to begin hearing cases in February 2017. Judge Sponzo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2003 from Hamilton College and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from the University of Connecticut School of Law. From 2007 to January 2017, she served as a trial attorney for the Civil Division, Office of Immigration Litigation, Department of Justice (DOJ), in Washington, D.C. From January 2015 to July 2015, she also served as a clearance counsel for the Office of Presidential Personnel, White House, Executive Office of the President of the United States. From 2006 through 2007, she served as a judicial law clerk for the New York City Immigration Court, Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ, entering on duty through the Attorney General's Honors Program. Judge Sponzo is a member of the New York State Bar.
In the record
How the Trump Administration Pushed Judges to Deport Children
The New Yorker describes an April hearing in which Sponzo, appearing by video, ordered a dozen unaccompanied teenagers removed in under an hour without speaking their names. The piece uses her docket at 26 Federal Plaza to illustrate the pressure on judges handling children's cases.
Trump Administration Fires Two More New York City Immigration Judges as New Hires Take the Bench
New York Focus reports that the Justice Department fired Sponzo and fellow New York judge Kyle Dandelet on the same day it announced five new judges for the city's courts. Both had granted asylum far more often than the national average, though their denial rates rose after 2024.
EOIR news release announcing new immigration judges
This EOIR announcement lists Jem C. Sponzo as an immigration judge at the New York City Immigration Court, appointed by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch to begin hearing cases in February 2017. The release includes a biography covering education and prior legal roles.
Other judges at New York
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.