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

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

Immigration judges

Steven A. Morley

Immigration Judge, Philadelphia Immigration Court. Appointed December 2010 by Eric Holder.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Morley39.2%
Philadelphia court58.7%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
158
Asylum granted
92
Other relief granted
4
Denied
62
Against own court
-19.5 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22
48%31%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 96% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Guatemala (22.2%), El Salvador (10.1%), Honduras (10.1%), Belarus (8.9%), India (5.7%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Morley in December 2010. Judge Morley received a bachelor of arts degree in 1973 from University of Wisconsin, Madison and a juris doctorate in 1976 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. From 2003 to December 2010, he was a partner with Morley Surin & Griffin, P.C. From 1984 to 2003, Judge Morley was in private practice. From 1976 to 1984, he was a public defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He has taught immigration law courses at Drexel University, Villanova University School of Law and Rutgers School of Law, Camden since 2007. Judge Morley is a member of the Pennsylvania 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 Philadelphia

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.