Judge Alec J. Niziolek's Asylum Denial Rate Exceeds National Average in Orlando Immigration Court
Judge Alec J. Niziolek, an Immigration Judge in the Orlando Immigration Court, has a significantly higher asylum denial rate compared to the national average. Data from fiscal years 2021 through the first nine months of 2026 indicates that Judge Niziolek denied 85.5% of the 488 asylum claims he decided on their merits. This rate is substantially higher than the national average denial rate of 62.9% for Immigration Court judges during the same period. Even within the Orlando Immigration Court, where judges denied asylum 72.3% of the time, Judge Niziolek's rate stands out. Judge Niziolek was appointed in October 2022 and previously served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from 2006 to 2022. The largest group of asylum seekers appearing before him were from Venezuela, followed by Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, and Cuba. 
