Judge Roopal Patel
How is this compared?
This judge: 94 of 769 (12.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 544 of 11,753 (4.6 %). 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, 12 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
3 of every 10 cases were decided in absentia, without the person at the hearing. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.
With an attorney, 17 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (17.0 % and 0.4 %).
Of their 769 decisions, 94 ended with relief, 182 with the case closed, 44 with voluntary departure and 449 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 94 | 12.2 % |
| Case closed | 182 | 23.7 % |
| Voluntary departure | 44 | 5.7 % |
| Removal order | 449 | 58.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 251 | 32.6 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Roopal Patel, the share of cases with relief is 12.2 %: higher than at the Boston court (5.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Roopal Patel, the share of removal orders is 58.4 %: lower than at the Boston court (73.7 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Roopal Patel, the share of cases decided in absentia is 32.6 %: lower than at the Boston court (49.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Roopal Patel, the share of people with an attorney is 71.0 %: higher than at the Boston court (48.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Roopal Patel take less time than at the Boston court: a median of 1,160 days versus 1,237.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 9 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 4 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 96 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Dec 2025 (140 decisions) and the quietest May 2026 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 91 | 22 | 23 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 127 | 20 | 57 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 111 | 14 | 42 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 140 | 11 | 74 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 78 | 13 | 16 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 63 | 6 | 1 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 121 | 6 | 35 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 38 | 2 | 3 | down |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| 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 Roopal Patel is Brazil (301), followed by Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from El Salvador (25.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 301 | 10.3 % | 31.6 % |
| Colombia | 79 | 2.5 % | 24.1 % |
| Guatemala | 68 | 10.3 % | 27.9 % |
| Ecuador | 55 | 16.4 % | 29.1 % |
| El Salvador | 44 | 25.0 % | 18.2 % |
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 | 546 | 17.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 223 | 0.4 % |
Where this judge decides
- Boston Immigration Court: 738 decisions (96.0 %)
- Annandale Immigration Court: 26 decisions (3.4 %)
- Newark Immigration Court: 3 decisions (0.4 %)
- Chelmsford Immigration Court: 2 decisions (0.3 %)