Judge Dat T. Vo
How is this compared?
This judge: 16 of 244 (6.6 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 159 of 22,655 (0.7 %). 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, 7 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
10 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With an attorney, 12 of every 100 got relief; without one, 1 of every 100 (11.5 % and 0.9 %).
Of their 244 decisions, 16 ended with relief, 3 with the case closed, 110 with voluntary departure and 115 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 16 | 6.6 % |
| Case closed | 3 | 1.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 110 | 45.1 % |
| Removal order | 115 | 47.1 % |
| Decided in absentia | 25 | 10.3 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Dat T. Vo, the share of cases with relief is 6.6 %: higher than at the Houston court (0.8 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Dat T. Vo, the share of removal orders is 47.1 %: lower than at the Houston court (80.7 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Dat T. Vo, the share of cases decided in absentia is 10.3 %: lower than at the Houston court (44.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Dat T. Vo, the share of people with an attorney is 53.3 %: higher than at the Houston court (32.1 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Dat T. Vo take less time than at the Houston court: a median of 96 days versus 560.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 21 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 17 of 21 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 3 of 21 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 86 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was May 2026 (74 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Apr 2026 | 41 | 0 | 25 | up |
| May 2026 | 74 | 3 | 0 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 54 | 1 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 48 | 8 | 0 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 27 | 4 | 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 Dat T. Vo is Mexico (92), followed by Guatemala and Venezuela. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (9.8 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 92 | 9.8 % | 3.3 % |
| Guatemala | 42 | 4.8 % | 4.8 % |
| Venezuela | 26 | 0.0 % | 23.1 % |
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 | 130 | 11.5 % |
| Without an attorney | 114 | 0.9 % |
Where this judge decides
- Oakdale Immigration Court: 119 decisions (48.8 %)
- Houston - Greenspoint Park Immigration Court: 94 decisions (38.5 %)
- Houston - S. Gessner Road Immigration Court: 31 decisions (12.7 %)