Judge Melissa Fox
How is this compared?
This judge: 40 of 803 (5.0 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 672 of 16,344 (4.1 %). 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, 5 got relief. The vast majority end without 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 an attorney, 11 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (11.4 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 803 decisions, 40 ended with relief, 41 with the case closed, 34 with voluntary departure and 688 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 40 | 5.0 % |
| Case closed | 41 | 5.1 % |
| Voluntary departure | 34 | 4.2 % |
| Removal order | 688 | 85.7 % |
| Decided in absentia | 487 | 60.7 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Melissa Fox, the share of cases with relief is 5.0 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (4.2 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Melissa Fox, the share of removal orders is 85.7 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (83.2 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Melissa Fox, the share of cases decided in absentia is 60.7 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (57.8 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Melissa Fox, the share of people with an attorney is 43.6 %: higher than at the Philadelphia court (39.0 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Melissa Fox take longer than at the Philadelphia court: a median of 1,118 days versus 942.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 6 of 14 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 5 of 14 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 11 of 14 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 78 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jun 2026 (336 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 1 | 0 | 1 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 4 | 0 | 0 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 47 | 0 | 34 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 105 | 3 | 46 | up |
| May 2026 | 121 | 13 | 52 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 336 | 8 | 265 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 130 | 13 | 45 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 55 | 3 | 44 | 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 Melissa Fox is Brazil (122), followed by Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras and Colombia. The highest share with relief was for people from Brazil (0.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 122 | 0.0 % | 67.2 % |
| Guatemala | 107 | 0.0 % | 66.4 % |
| Dominican Republic | 103 | 0.0 % | 86.4 % |
| Honduras | 64 | 0.0 % | 81.3 % |
| Colombia | 54 | 0.0 % | 40.7 % |
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 | 350 | 11.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 453 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Philadelphia Immigration Court: 803 decisions (100.0 %)