Judge Shana W. Chen
How is this compared?
This judge: 26 of 2,423 (1.1 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 299 of 19,737 (1.5 %). 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, 1 got relief. Very few cases end with 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 and without an attorney, the share with relief was similar (3.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 2,423 decisions, 26 ended with relief, 134 with the case closed, 678 with voluntary departure and 1,585 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 26 | 1.1 % |
| Case closed | 134 | 5.5 % |
| Voluntary departure | 678 | 28.0 % |
| Removal order | 1,585 | 65.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 1,026 | 42.3 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Shana W. Chen, the share of cases with relief is 1.1 %: similar than at the Newark court (1.5 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Shana W. Chen, the share of removal orders is 65.4 %: lower than at the Newark court (83.0 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Shana W. Chen, the share of cases decided in absentia is 42.3 %: lower than at the Newark court (56.6 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Shana W. Chen, the share of people with an attorney is 32.0 %: lower than at the Newark court (34.9 %) and lower than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Shana W. Chen take less time than at the Newark court: a median of 610 days versus 961.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 7 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 10 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 2 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 33 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Aug 2026 (590 decisions) and the quietest Nov 2025 (88).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 161 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 121 | 0 | 9 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 88 | 0 | 8 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 116 | 1 | 10 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 143 | 0 | 15 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 141 | 0 | 5 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 181 | 4 | 20 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 93 | 1 | 12 | down |
| May 2026 | 117 | 1 | 17 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 273 | 11 | 129 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 399 | 0 | 322 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 590 | 6 | 479 | up |
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 Shana W. Chen is Guatemala (459), followed by Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia and Mexico. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (2.8 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 459 | 0.0 % | 57.7 % |
| Ecuador | 367 | 0.5 % | 44.1 % |
| Honduras | 225 | 0.0 % | 52.0 % |
| Colombia | 218 | 0.0 % | 39.0 % |
| Mexico | 211 | 2.8 % | 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 | 775 | 3.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,648 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Newark Immigration Court: 1,509 decisions (62.3 %)
- Elizabeth Immigration Court: 914 decisions (37.7 %)