The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 4.6% historical asylum grant rate for Michael M. Neal at Newark, NJ, based on 131 grants and 2,729 denials (2,860 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Michael M. Neal with Newark, NJ. With an asylum approval rate of 4.6%, 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 Neal (Newark, NJ) data snapshot: Cuba vs Brazil grant rates differ 33×
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Neal, Michael M. (IJ code MMN, Newark, NJ):
Overall track record
30 years on the bench (since 1997), 2,889 cases total, lifetime grant rate 5.8%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 2,832 cases, grant rate 5.8% — 4.8pp below the Newark court average (10.6%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Ecuador 487 4.0%
Guatemala 367 3.4%
Honduras 260 3.5%
Colombia 234 1.6%
Peru 227 3.5%
Mexico 193 18.2%
Brazil 173 0.9%
El Salvador 145 4.1%
Venezuela 117 3.6%
Dominican Republic 87 4.8%
Cuba 82 28.6%
Cuba applicants see a 28.6% grant rate versus 0.9% for Brazil applicants — a 32.9× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2023: 7 cases, 0.0% grant rate
2024: 2 cases, 0.0% grant rate
2025: 1010 cases, 11.2% grant rate
2026: 1813 cases, 3.2% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Neal, 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, July 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
Michael M. Neal is listed with the Newark, NJ Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 4.6% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Ecuador (527 decided, 3.2% grant rate), Guatemala (393 decided, 2.3% grant rate), and Honduras (277 decided, 2.5% 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.
What is Judge Michael M. Neal's asylum grant rate?
Judge Michael M. Neal granted asylum in 4.6% of 2,860 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Michael M. Neal grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (4.6%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Newark, NJ grants 16.4%. 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.
