Judge Michael S. Pleters
How is this compared?
This judge: 37 of 849 (4.4 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 130 of 5,824 (2.2 %). 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, 4 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
0 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, 1 of every 100 (9.7 % and 0.8 %).
Of their 849 decisions, 37 ended with relief, 55 with the case closed, 303 with voluntary departure and 454 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 37 | 4.4 % |
| Case closed | 55 | 6.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 303 | 35.7 % |
| Removal order | 454 | 53.5 % |
| Decided in absentia | 0 | 0.0 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Michael S. Pleters, the share of cases with relief is 4.4 %: higher than at the El Paso court (2.5 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Michael S. Pleters, the share of removal orders is 53.5 %: lower than at the El Paso court (61.1 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Michael S. Pleters, the share of cases decided in absentia is 0.0 %: similar than at the El Paso court (0.1 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Michael S. Pleters, the share of people with an attorney is 40.3 %: higher than at the El Paso court (37.9 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Michael S. Pleters take longer than at the El Paso court: a median of 165 days versus 105.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 3 of 7 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 4 of 7 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 7 of 7 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 73 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 (139 decisions) and the quietest May 2026 (22).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 78 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 139 | 3 | 0 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 105 | 3 | 0 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 107 | 5 | 0 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 111 | 1 | 0 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 69 | 3 | 0 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 75 | 4 | 0 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 32 | 3 | 0 | down |
| May 2026 | 22 | 1 | 0 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 52 | 6 | 0 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 23 | 2 | 0 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 36 | 4 | 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 Michael S. Pleters is Mexico (273), followed by Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras and Cuba. The highest share with relief was for people from Cuba (7.4 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 273 | 4.0 % | 0.0 % |
| Venezuela | 112 | 1.8 % | 0.0 % |
| Guatemala | 90 | 2.2 % | 0.0 % |
| Honduras | 61 | 1.6 % | 0.0 % |
| Cuba | 54 | 7.4 % | 0.0 % |
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 | 342 | 9.7 % |
| Without an attorney | 507 | 0.8 % |
Where this judge decides
- El Paso SPC Immigration Court: 849 decisions (100.0 %)