Judge Sandra J. Santos-Garcia
How is this compared?
This judge: 49 of 1,167 (4.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 422 of 11,467 (3.7 %). 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, 4 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
4 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 an attorney, 6 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (6.1 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,167 decisions, 49 ended with relief, 76 with the case closed, 99 with voluntary departure and 943 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 49 | 4.2 % |
| Case closed | 76 | 6.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 99 | 8.5 % |
| Removal order | 943 | 80.8 % |
| Decided in absentia | 501 | 42.9 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Sandra J. Santos-Garcia, the share of cases with relief is 4.2 %: similar than at the Los Angeles court (3.7 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Sandra J. Santos-Garcia, the share of removal orders is 80.8 %: higher than at the Los Angeles court (71.6 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Sandra J. Santos-Garcia, the share of cases decided in absentia is 42.9 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (43.8 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Sandra J. Santos-Garcia, the share of people with an attorney is 68.5 %: higher than at the Los Angeles court (67.4 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Sandra J. Santos-Garcia take longer than at the Los Angeles court: a median of 925 days versus 817.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 3 of 8 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 6 of 8 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 8 of 8 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 72 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 (202 decisions) and the quietest May 2026 (26).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 81 | 6 | 49 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 67 | 11 | 36 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 93 | 2 | 60 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 73 | 0 | 58 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 84 | 3 | 29 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 130 | 0 | 37 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 202 | 2 | 85 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 145 | 2 | 34 | down |
| May 2026 | 26 | 1 | 11 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 111 | 15 | 41 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 107 | 0 | 44 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 48 | 7 | 17 | 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 Sandra J. Santos-Garcia is Mexico (307), followed by Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (5.5 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 307 | 5.5 % | 49.2 % |
| Peru | 161 | 0.0 % | 52.8 % |
| Guatemala | 140 | 0.7 % | 42.9 % |
| El Salvador | 123 | 1.6 % | 30.1 % |
| Colombia | 82 | 0.0 % | 47.6 % |
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 | 799 | 6.1 % |
| Without an attorney | 368 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Los Angeles - Van Nuys Boulevard Immigration Court: 1,136 decisions (97.3 %)
- Imperial Immigration Court: 16 decisions (1.4 %)
- Adelanto Immigration Court: 15 decisions (1.3 %)