Judge Veronica S. Villegas
How is this compared?
This judge: 26 of 1,320 (2.0 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 495 of 16,029 (3.1 %). 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, 2 got relief. Very few cases end with relief.
6 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 (3.9 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,320 decisions, 26 ended with relief, 242 with the case closed, 14 with voluntary departure and 1,038 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 26 | 2.0 % |
| Case closed | 242 | 18.3 % |
| Voluntary departure | 14 | 1.1 % |
| Removal order | 1,038 | 78.6 % |
| Decided in absentia | 757 | 57.4 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Veronica S. Villegas, the share of cases with relief is 2.0 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (3.0 %) and similar than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Veronica S. Villegas, the share of removal orders is 78.6 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (82.2 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Veronica S. Villegas, the share of cases decided in absentia is 57.4 %: higher than at the Los Angeles court (50.8 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Veronica S. Villegas, the share of people with an attorney is 50.4 %: lower than at the Los Angeles court (60.1 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Veronica S. Villegas take longer than at the Los Angeles court: a median of 1,057 days versus 907.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 10 of 14 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 6 of 14 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 12 of 14 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 49 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 (161 decisions) and the quietest May 2026 (70).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 94 | 1 | 70 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 101 | 1 | 83 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 117 | 0 | 99 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 104 | 0 | 82 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 98 | 0 | 70 | down |
| Feb 2026 | 135 | 0 | 89 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 161 | 5 | 101 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 130 | 1 | 64 | down |
| May 2026 | 70 | 4 | 48 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 102 | 0 | 14 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 104 | 5 | 26 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 104 | 9 | 11 | same |
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 Veronica S. Villegas is Mexico (321), followed by Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Honduras. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (3.1 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 321 | 3.1 % | 57.9 % |
| Guatemala | 235 | 0.0 % | 62.6 % |
| El Salvador | 169 | 1.8 % | 49.7 % |
| Colombia | 110 | 0.0 % | 62.7 % |
| Honduras | 92 | 0.0 % | 57.6 % |
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 | 665 | 3.9 % |
| Without an attorney | 655 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Los Angeles - West Los Angeles Immigration Court: 1,320 decisions (100.0 %)