Judge Brent Jostad
How is this compared?
This judge: 15 of 813 (1.8 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 156 of 8,343 (1.9 %). 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.
4 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (3.9 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 813 decisions, 15 ended with relief, 26 with the case closed, 257 with voluntary departure and 515 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 15 | 1.8 % |
| Case closed | 26 | 3.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 257 | 31.6 % |
| Removal order | 515 | 63.3 % |
| Decided in absentia | 34 | 4.2 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Brent Jostad, the share of cases with relief is 1.8 %: similar than at the Detroit court (1.8 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Brent Jostad, the share of removal orders is 63.3 %: lower than at the Detroit court (68.6 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Brent Jostad, the share of cases decided in absentia is 4.2 %: lower than at the Detroit court (19.7 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Brent Jostad, the share of people with an attorney is 48.0 %: higher than at the Detroit court (39.0 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Brent Jostad take less time than at the Detroit court: a median of 238 days versus 610.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 9 of 14 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 8 of 14 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 3 of 14 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 47 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Mar 2026 (124 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (33).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 33 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 45 | 6 | 2 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 39 | 2 | 12 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 39 | 1 | 2 | same |
| Jan 2026 | 44 | 0 | 4 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 48 | 2 | 7 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 124 | 0 | 4 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 103 | 2 | 2 | down |
| May 2026 | 99 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 59 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 81 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 99 | 0 | 0 | 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 Brent Jostad is Mexico (204), followed by Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from Honduras (1.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 204 | 0.5 % | 2.0 % |
| Venezuela | 98 | 0.0 % | 0.0 % |
| Guatemala | 96 | 0.0 % | 6.3 % |
| Honduras | 81 | 1.2 % | 1.2 % |
| El Salvador | 53 | 0.0 % | 13.2 % |
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 | 390 | 3.9 % |
| Without an attorney | 423 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Detroit Immigration Court: 517 decisions (63.6 %)
- Baltimore Immigration Court: 184 decisions (22.6 %)
- Port Isabel Immigration Court: 90 decisions (11.1 %)
- Charlotte Immigration Court: 16 decisions (2.0 %)
- Hyattsville Immigration Court: 5 decisions (0.6 %)
- Pearsall Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)