The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 14.1% historical asylum grant rate for Natalie Smith at Chelmsford, MA, based on 216 grants and 1,314 denials (1,530 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Natalie Smith with Chelmsford, MA. With an asylum approval rate of 14.1%, this judge is below average compared to the national average. Data sourced from EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review). Historical listings do not by themselves establish a current assignment.
Community Discussion
DATAAsylumTracker Data
Judge Smith (Chelsea, MA) data snapshot: Angola vs Dominican Republic grant rates differ 16×, overall rate fell from 37% to 9% in 2 years
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Smith, Natalie (IJ code NSM, Chelsea, MA):
Overall track record
3 years on the bench (since 2024), 1,916 cases total, lifetime grant rate 15.6%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 1,908 cases, grant rate 15.7% — 4.8pp below the Chelsea court average (20.5%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Brazil 478 12.9%
Guatemala 332 23.9%
Ecuador 169 6.8%
Dominican Republic 153 1.7%
El Salvador 107 26.2%
Honduras 72 17.6%
Haiti 70 10.3%
Mexico 64 12.2%
Colombia 51 3.1%
Venezuela 44 8.7%
Angola 42 26.5%
Angola applicants see a 26.5% grant rate versus 1.7% for Dominican Republic applicants — a 15.6× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2024: 448 cases, 37.1% grant rate
2025: 976 cases, 13.0% grant rate
2026: 484 cases, 9.1% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Smith, I'd love to hear:
1. What's your nationality, and when was your most recent hearing?
2. How did your attorney prepare for this judge specifically?
Source: EOIR (U.S. Executive Office for Immigration Review) public statistics, May 2026 release, compiled by AsylumTracker. A judge's historical pattern does not predict the outcome of any individual case; this is shared to help set realistic expectations. Real-experience accounts from the community are welcome.
Have experience with this judge? Open AsylumTracker to reply or read more responses from the community.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Natalie Smith is listed with the Chelmsford, MA Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 14.1% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Brazil (328 decided, 11.9% grant rate), Guatemala (259 decided, 22.8% grant rate), and Dominican Republic (164 decided, 2.4% grant rate). Compare these rows with the judge's overall rate because nationality mix can materially change how the headline number should be read.
Grant rate is calculated as granted / (granted + denied). Other procedural outcomes, including terminated, withdrawn, administratively closed, or removed cases, are tracked separately where available and are not treated as asylum grants.
This page is based on public EOIR data last updated 2026-09-01. It is for research and information only, not legal advice.
Judge Natalie Smith granted asylum in 14.1% of 1,530 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Natalie Smith grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (14.1%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Chelmsford, MA grants 22.2%. It is a historical average, not a prediction for any one case.
How is this grant rate calculated?
Grants divided by grants plus denials. Terminations, withdrawals and administrative closures are not counted.
