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

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

Immigration judges

Thomas Ayze

Immigration Judge, Miami Immigration Court. Appointed May 2019 by William P. Barr.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Ayze83.7%
Miami court71.5%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
898
Asylum granted
107
Other relief granted
39
Denied
752
Against own court
+12.2 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
98%81%90%55%83%91%

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: Nicaragua (19.3%), Brazil (14.7%), Guatemala (12.9%), Honduras (11.9%), Cuba (11.1%).

Official biography

Attorney General William Barr appointed Thomas M. Ayze to begin hearing cases in May 2019.Judge Ayze ear ned a Bachelor of Arts in 1984 from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctorin 1988 from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He retired as a lieutenant colon eland judge advocate from the U.S. Air Force in 2010. From 2008 to 2019, he served as an assistant chief counsel, Office of the Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement,Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in Miami, Florida. From 2007 to 2008, he served as afraud, detection and national security immigration officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), DHS, in Miami, Florida. From 2003 to 2007, he served as an asylum officer with USCIS, DHS, in Miami, Florida. From 1988 to 2010, he was judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force in the following locations: Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California; Clark Air Base(AB), Philippines; Tyndall AFB, Florida; H.Q. Air Reserve Personnel Center, Denver, Colorado;Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Yokota AB, Japan; Hurlburt Field, Florida; Air Force Claims Service Center, Ohio; and Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on active duty till 2002, and later as reservist from 2003 to 2010. Judge Ayze is a member of the Colorado Bar and Florida 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 Miami

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.