What is Judge Barbara A. Nelson's background?
TRAC reports that Barbara A. Nelson was appointed in September 1995. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico in 1972, and a Juris Doctorate from the New England School of Law in 1975. From 1983 to 1995, she was in private practice in New York. Judge Nelson was also in private practice with Pollack & Kromer from 1979 to 1983, and with Antonio C. Martinez from 1977 to 1979, both of New York. She is a member of the Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York Bars.
What does TRAC report about Judge Barbara A. Nelson's asylum decisions?
TRAC, a research center that began at Syracuse University, reports that for FY 2021 - 2026 (data covers the first 9 months of fiscal year 2026), Judge Barbara A. Nelson decided 1020 asylum cases at New York Immigration Court and denied 55.6 percent, based on its report of Aug 27, 2026. These are past figures for one court. They do not predict your case, which turns on your facts, evidence, nationality and representation, and TRAC cautions against simple comparisons between judges at different courts. Read the full report at TRAC, and talk to a lawyer about your own case.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Barbara A. Nelson in 1 alphabetical row. The recorded title is Immigration Judge. The record is not an appointment history or an employment certification.
Dated court associations
EOIR’s court-specific tables associate this entry with New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.