Judge Patrick M. Mckenna
How is this compared?
This judge: 48 of 3,278 (1.5 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 1,121 of 42,685 (2.6 %). 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, 1 got relief. Very few cases end with relief.
8 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, 6 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (6.0 % and 0.2 %).
Of their 3,278 decisions, 48 ended with relief, 81 with the case closed, 84 with voluntary departure and 3,065 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 48 | 1.5 % |
| Case closed | 81 | 2.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 84 | 2.6 % |
| Removal order | 3,065 | 93.5 % |
| Decided in absentia | 2,507 | 76.5 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Patrick M. Mckenna, the share of cases with relief is 1.5 %: lower than at the Chicago court (2.5 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Patrick M. Mckenna, the share of removal orders is 93.5 %: higher than at the Chicago court (88.0 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Patrick M. Mckenna, the share of cases decided in absentia is 76.5 %: higher than at the Chicago court (69.0 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Patrick M. Mckenna, the share of people with an attorney is 22.5 %: lower than at the Chicago court (23.8 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Patrick M. Mckenna take about the same as at the Chicago court: a median of 890 days versus 873.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 18 of 27 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 7 of 27 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 19 of 27 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 40 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 (511 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (120).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 209 | 8 | 142 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 256 | 0 | 208 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 162 | 9 | 124 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 120 | 4 | 71 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 155 | 5 | 90 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 186 | 2 | 104 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 223 | 4 | 155 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 312 | 3 | 231 | up |
| May 2026 | 304 | 5 | 245 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 415 | 6 | 362 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 425 | 0 | 353 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 511 | 2 | 422 | up |
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 Patrick M. Mckenna is Venezuela (799), followed by Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia and Ecuador. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (2.6 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 799 | 1.1 % | 81.1 % |
| Mexico | 619 | 2.6 % | 75.0 % |
| Nicaragua | 392 | 0.3 % | 87.2 % |
| Colombia | 332 | 0.3 % | 84.9 % |
| Ecuador | 256 | 0.0 % | 77.7 % |
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 | 738 | 6.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 2,540 | 0.2 % |
Where this judge decides
- Chicago Immigration Court: 3,278 decisions (100.0 %)