Judge Stephen W. Harrell
How is this compared?
This judge: 1 of 66 (1.5 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 1,168 of 45,897 (2.5 %). 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, 2 got relief. Very few cases end with relief.
7 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.
There are not enough cases with and without an attorney to compare them.
Of their 66 decisions, 1 ended with relief, 3 with the case closed, 2 with voluntary departure and 60 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 1 | 1.5 % |
| Case closed | 3 | 4.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 2 | 3.0 % |
| Removal order | 60 | 90.9 % |
| Decided in absentia | 45 | 68.2 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Stephen W. Harrell, the share of cases with relief is 1.5 %: lower than at the Chicago court (2.5 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Stephen W. Harrell, the share of removal orders is 90.9 %: higher than at the Chicago court (88.0 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Stephen W. Harrell, the share of cases decided in absentia is 68.2 %: lower than at the Chicago court (69.0 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Stephen W. Harrell, the share of people with an attorney is 62.1 %: higher than at the Chicago court (23.8 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Stephen W. Harrell take longer than at the Chicago court: a median of 1,196 days versus 873.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 17 of 27 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 14 of 27 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 27 of 27 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 41 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Aug 2026 (65 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jul 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 65 | 1 | 44 | up |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
No country reaches 25 decisions with this judge in the window.
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 | limited data | — |
| Without an attorney | limited data | — |
Where this judge decides
- Chicago Immigration Court: 66 decisions (100.0 %)