Judge Thanos Kanellakos
How is this compared?
This judge: 54 of 824 (6.6 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 1,033 of 10,522 (9.8 %). 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
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 7 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
20 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With an attorney, 9 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (8.8 % and 0.4 %).
Of their 824 decisions, 54 ended with relief, 82 with the case closed, 100 with voluntary departure and 588 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 54 | 6.6 % |
| Case closed | 82 | 10.0 % |
| Voluntary departure | 100 | 12.1 % |
| Removal order | 588 | 71.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 163 | 19.8 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Thanos Kanellakos, the share of cases with relief is 6.6 %: lower than at the Hyattsville court (9.6 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Thanos Kanellakos, the share of removal orders is 71.4 %: lower than at the Hyattsville court (73.6 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Thanos Kanellakos, the share of cases decided in absentia is 19.8 %: lower than at the Hyattsville court (25.4 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Thanos Kanellakos, the share of people with an attorney is 72.8 %: higher than at the Hyattsville court (65.9 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Thanos Kanellakos take longer than at the Hyattsville court: a median of 866 days versus 756.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 12 of 13 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 8 of 13 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 11 of 13 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 Jul 2026 (164 decisions) and the quietest Nov 2025 (20).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 54 | 7 | 11 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 45 | 8 | 10 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 20 | 0 | 4 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 77 | 7 | 8 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 82 | 0 | 12 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 66 | 1 | 11 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 93 | 1 | 15 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 55 | 3 | 7 | down |
| May 2026 | 44 | 8 | 4 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 60 | 1 | 6 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 164 | 7 | 66 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 64 | 11 | 9 | 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 Thanos Kanellakos is El Salvador (146), followed by Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras and Ecuador. The highest share with relief was for people from El Salvador (4.1 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 146 | 4.1 % | 17.1 % |
| Guatemala | 106 | 1.9 % | 11.3 % |
| Venezuela | 102 | 0.0 % | 35.3 % |
| Honduras | 80 | 2.5 % | 13.8 % |
| Ecuador | 58 | 0.0 % | 67.2 % |
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 | 600 | 8.8 % |
| Without an attorney | 224 | 0.4 % |
Where this judge decides
- Hyattsville Immigration Court: 651 decisions (79.0 %)
- New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court: 103 decisions (12.5 %)
- Elizabeth Immigration Court: 47 decisions (5.7 %)
- Baltimore Immigration Court: 19 decisions (2.3 %)
- Laredo Immigration Court: 3 decisions (0.4 %)
- Harlingen Immigration Court: 1 decisions (0.1 %)