EOIR Immigration Judge
EOIR resources / Immigration judges / Peter T. McCary
Judge Peter T. McCary
Elizabeth Immigration Court · Elizabeth, New Jersey · Immigration Judge
Court Assignment
Elizabeth Immigration Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey is this judge's listed court assignment and serves cases associated with New Jersey. EOIR venue and transfer rules determine where an individual case is heard, so respondents should follow the location on their latest notice.
Immigration Judge Role and Case Types
Immigration judges are trial-level adjudicators who preside over removal proceedings. They decide whether a respondent is removable and consider applications for relief such as asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and cancellation of removal. They also hear bond matters when the court has jurisdiction. EOIR does not publish individual immigration judge decision statistics in the same way the Social Security Administration publishes Administrative Law Judge disposition statistics.
Professional Role
Peter T. McCary was appointed as a temporary immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026. Judge McCary earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in 2007 from Duke University and a Juris Doctor in 2010 from Duke University School of Law. From 2010 to March 2026, he served with the Office of the Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service, in various positions, including most recently as a senior counsel from April 2023 to March 2026, attorney (tax litigation), senior attorney, and general attorney (tax). His awards at the IRS include the IRS Excellence Award (2025), a Lucite Award (2024), and Treasury Legal Team of the Year (2019). Since 2019, he has served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve in various locations, with positions including international law officer, acting chief of national security law, national security law attorney, trial counsel, and administrative law attorney. He holds the rank of captain. Judge McCary is a member of the Florida Bar and the State Bar of Georgia.
Immigration judges are attorneys appointed by the Attorney General. EOIR's published qualifications call for at least seven years of post-bar-admission legal experience. Judges serve as trial-level adjudicators in the immigration court system; they are not attorneys for either side.
Immigration Process and Respondent Resources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, court procedures, and enforcement policies can change. Deadlines and options depend on your case and the notices you received. Talk with a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative about your situation.