Judge Jem C. Sponzo
How is this compared?
This judge: 43 of 2,306 (1.9 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 1,697 of 36,794 (4.6 %). 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.
27 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (2.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 2,306 decisions, 43 ended with relief, 500 with the case closed, 30 with voluntary departure and 1,733 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 43 | 1.9 % |
| Case closed | 500 | 21.7 % |
| Voluntary departure | 30 | 1.3 % |
| Removal order | 1,733 | 75.1 % |
| Decided in absentia | 628 | 27.2 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Jem C. Sponzo, the share of cases with relief is 1.9 %: lower than at the New York court (4.5 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Jem C. Sponzo, the share of removal orders is 75.1 %: lower than at the New York court (84.5 %) and similar than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Jem C. Sponzo, the share of cases decided in absentia is 27.2 %: lower than at the New York court (52.4 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Jem C. Sponzo, the share of people with an attorney is 78.7 %: higher than at the New York court (44.6 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Jem C. Sponzo take longer than at the New York court: a median of 1,366 days versus 917.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 33 of 44 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 41 of 44 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 43 of 44 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 48 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 (351 decisions) and the quietest Jun 2026 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 264 | 6 | 142 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 301 | 9 | 100 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 264 | 1 | 86 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 175 | 0 | 37 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 292 | 2 | 81 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 184 | 2 | 39 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 351 | 18 | 62 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 264 | 0 | 60 | down |
| May 2026 | 211 | 5 | 21 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 Jem C. Sponzo is Ecuador (486), followed by Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and China. The highest share with relief was for people from China (10.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | 486 | 0.8 % | 22.8 % |
| Guatemala | 447 | 0.0 % | 44.3 % |
| El Salvador | 175 | 0.0 % | 25.1 % |
| Honduras | 169 | 0.6 % | 29.6 % |
| China | 137 | 10.2 % | 17.5 % |
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 | 1,814 | 2.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 492 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court: 2,306 decisions (100.0 %)