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

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

Immigration judges

Steven J. Connelly

Immigration Judge, Buffalo Immigration Court. Appointed October 2010 by Eric Holder.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Connelly53.4%
Buffalo court57.3%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
363
Asylum granted
114
Other relief granted
55
Denied
194
Against own court
-3.9 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
67%39%48%51%61%34%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 78% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Brazil (9.4%), Ecuador (8.3%), Venezuela (8%), Russia (5.8%), Colombia (5%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Connelly in October 2010. Judge Connelly received a bachelor of arts degree in 1983 and a juris doctorate in 1986, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. From 2003 to October 2010, he worked as an assistant chief counsel, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Buffalo, N.Y. From 1994 to 2003, Judge Connelly was a trial attorney and an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service, Buffalo. During that time, from 2000 to 2003, he was designated as a civil special assistant U.S. attorney for the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York. From 1992 to 1994, Judge Connelly worked as an attorney for the International Institute of Buffalo, represent ing individuals in immigration court proceedings. From 1989 to 1992, he was an attorney in Buffalo for Serotte, Reich and Seipp, which specialized in the practice of U.S. immigration law. Judge Connelly is a member of the New York State 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 Buffalo

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.