Judge Lydia Tamez
How is this compared?
This judge: 7 of 1,426 (0.5 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 165 of 21,363 (0.8 %). 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
Fewer than 1 in 100 cases this judge decided got relief (7 of 1,426).
5 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 and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (1.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,426 decisions, 7 ended with relief, 166 with the case closed, 113 with voluntary departure and 1,140 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 7 | 0.5 % |
| Case closed | 166 | 11.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 113 | 7.9 % |
| Removal order | 1,140 | 79.9 % |
| Decided in absentia | 671 | 47.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Lydia Tamez, the share of cases with relief is 0.5 %: similar than at the Houston court (0.8 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Lydia Tamez, the share of removal orders is 79.9 %: lower than at the Houston court (80.7 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Lydia Tamez, the share of cases decided in absentia is 47.1 %: higher than at the Houston court (44.3 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Lydia Tamez, the share of people with an attorney is 35.5 %: higher than at the Houston court (32.1 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Lydia Tamez take less time than at the Houston court: a median of 445 days versus 560.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 14 of 21 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 11 of 21 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 7 of 21 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 18 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 (169 decisions) and the quietest Aug 2026 (43).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 134 | 1 | 58 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 129 | 1 | 48 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 64 | 1 | 15 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 127 | 1 | 62 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 87 | 0 | 12 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 108 | 0 | 26 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 169 | 1 | 94 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 115 | 0 | 50 | down |
| May 2026 | 131 | 1 | 89 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 166 | 0 | 112 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 153 | 0 | 105 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 43 | 1 | 0 | down |
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 Lydia Tamez is Mexico (394), followed by Honduras, Venezuela, Cuba and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (1.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 394 | 1.0 % | 36.0 % |
| Honduras | 262 | 0.0 % | 68.7 % |
| Venezuela | 210 | 0.5 % | 59.1 % |
| Cuba | 164 | 0.6 % | 4.3 % |
| El Salvador | 89 | 0.0 % | 64.0 % |
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 | 506 | 1.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 920 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Houston - Greenspoint Park Immigration Court: 1,386 decisions (97.2 %)
- Omaha Immigration Court: 40 decisions (2.8 %)