Judge Karen Donoso-Stevens
How is this compared?
This judge: 36 of 619 (5.8 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 1,065 of 16,503 (6.5 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".
Decisions over 12 months
In plain words
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 6 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
15 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With an attorney, 10 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (10.1 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 619 decisions, 36 ended with relief, 49 with the case closed, 160 with voluntary departure and 374 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 36 | 5.8 % |
| Case closed | 49 | 7.9 % |
| Voluntary departure | 160 | 25.9 % |
| Removal order | 374 | 60.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 91 | 14.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Karen Donoso-Stevens, the share of cases with relief is 5.8 %: lower than at the Annandale court (6.4 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Karen Donoso-Stevens, the share of removal orders is 60.4 %: lower than at the Annandale court (72.1 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Karen Donoso-Stevens, the share of cases decided in absentia is 14.7 %: lower than at the Annandale court (26.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Karen Donoso-Stevens, the share of people with an attorney is 57.4 %: lower than at the Annandale court (64.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Karen Donoso-Stevens take less time than at the Annandale court: a median of 578 days versus 719.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 12 of 24 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 19 of 24 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 7 of 24 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 82 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Oct 2025 (116 decisions) and the quietest Jun 2026 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 69 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 116 | 2 | 0 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 57 | 1 | 0 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 62 | 3 | 0 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 40 | 2 | 6 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 78 | 7 | 27 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 80 | 4 | 28 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 60 | 13 | 13 | down |
| May 2026 | 57 | 3 | 17 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
The nationality with the most decisions before Karen Donoso-Stevens is El Salvador (123), followed by Honduras, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela. The highest share with relief was for people from Venezuela (15.8 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 123 | 2.4 % | 4.1 % |
| Honduras | 108 | 3.7 % | 15.7 % |
| Guatemala | 86 | 0.0 % | 15.1 % |
| Bolivia | 77 | 2.6 % | 33.8 % |
| Venezuela | 57 | 15.8 % | 21.1 % |
Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.
With and without an attorney
| Decisions | Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| With an attorney | 355 | 10.1 % |
| Without an attorney | 264 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Annandale Immigration Court: 619 decisions (100.0 %)