Immigration judge · Hartford Immigration Court (HAR)

Judge David Melanson

Last 12 months: Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 EOIR data as of Sep 1, 2026 Last decision: Aug 2026 With decisions since 2022 in the public data
Relief similar to the other judges in this court
How is this compared?

This judge: 0 of 67 (0.0 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 97 of 7,506 (1.3 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".

Decisions over 12 months

Decisions 67 Sep 2025 – Aug 2026
Grants relief 0.0 % Court 1.3 % · Nation 2.4 %
Removal order 95.5 % Court 90.2 % · Nation 75.6 %
Decided in absentia 89.6 % Court 75.8 % · Nation 45.3 %
Had an attorney 22.4 % Court 19.0 % · Nation 38.1 %
How long cases take 34 months 1,034 days (median) · Court 945 days · Nation 793 days

In plain words

Fewer than 1 in 100 cases this judge decided got relief (0 of 67).

9 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 67 decisions, 0 ended with relief, 1 with the case closed, 2 with voluntary departure and 64 with a removal order.

How the decisions ended
OutcomeDecisions%
Relief00.0 %
Case closed11.5 %
Voluntary departure23.0 %
Removal order6495.5 %
Decided in absentia6089.6 %

This judge, the court and the nation

Grants relief
Removal order
Decided in absentia

With David Melanson, the share of cases with relief is 0.0 %: lower than at the Hartford court (1.3 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).

With David Melanson, the share of removal orders is 95.5 %: higher than at the Hartford court (90.2 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).

With David Melanson, the share of cases decided in absentia is 89.6 %: higher than at the Hartford court (75.8 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).

With David Melanson, the share of people with an attorney is 22.4 %: higher than at the Hartford court (19.0 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).

Cases with David Melanson take longer than at the Hartford court: a median of 1,034 days versus 945.

Compared with other judges

  • Ranked 5 of 7 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
  • Ranked 2 of 7 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
  • Ranked 5 of 7 for speed (1 = fastest).
  • Grants relief more often than 0 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 (67 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).

Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
MonthDecisionsReliefIn absentiaVs. prior month
Sep 2025000—
Oct 2025000same
Nov 2025000same
Dec 2025000same
Jan 2026000same
Feb 2026000same
Mar 2026000same
Apr 2026000same
May 2026000same
Jun 2026000same
Jul 2026000same
Aug 202667060up

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

DecisionsRelief
With an attorneylimited data—
Without an attorney520.0 %

Where this judge decides

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Other judges at Hartford Immigration Court

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Frequently asked questions

How many cases did David Melanson decide in the last 12 months?

67 decisions between Sep 2025 and Aug 2026, per EOIR data as of Sep 1, 2026.

How often does David Melanson grant relief?

In 0 of 67 decisions (0.0 %). In the court the share was 1.3 % and nationwide 2.4 %.

What does "in absentia" mean?

That the case was decided without the person at the hearing. With David Melanson it happened in 89.6 % of decisions. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.

Where does this data come from?

From official EOIR case data, published in its FOIA Library. We count the immigration judge's decisions over the last 12 full months.

Sources

Not legal advice. These figures describe past decisions and do not predict your case. Talk to an immigration attorney.

Inmigreat is not part of the government and is not endorsed by USCIS or EOIR.