What is Judge Rifian Newaz's background?
EOIR's notice says that Rifian Newaz was appointed in May 2019. Judge Newaz earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2001 from Rice University and a Juris Doctor in 2004 from the University of Texas School of Law. From 2018 to 2019, he was of counsel for the law firm of Davis & Santos. From 2011 to 2018, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, Department of Justice, in El Paso, Texas. From 2004 to 2010, he served as an assistant district attorney for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas.
What does TRAC report about Judge Rifian Newaz'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 Rifian Newaz decided 1026 asylum cases at San Antonio Immigration Court and denied 56.2 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 Rifian Newaz 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 San Antonio Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.