Judge Meghan E. Heesch
How is this compared?
This judge: 47 of 417 (11.3 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 83 of 3,432 (2.4 %). 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, 11 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
24 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.
With an attorney, 15 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (15.0 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 417 decisions, 47 ended with relief, 87 with the case closed, 32 with voluntary departure and 251 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 47 | 11.3 % |
| Case closed | 87 | 20.9 % |
| Voluntary departure | 32 | 7.7 % |
| Removal order | 251 | 60.2 % |
| Decided in absentia | 98 | 23.5 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Meghan E. Heesch, the share of cases with relief is 11.3 %: higher than at the San Diego court (3.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Meghan E. Heesch, the share of removal orders is 60.2 %: lower than at the San Diego court (64.8 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Meghan E. Heesch, the share of cases decided in absentia is 23.5 %: lower than at the San Diego court (36.4 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Meghan E. Heesch, the share of people with an attorney is 75.1 %: higher than at the San Diego court (69.4 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Meghan E. Heesch take less time than at the San Diego court: a median of 513 days versus 712.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 1 of 7 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 7 of 7 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 2 of 7 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 95 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 (106 decisions) and the quietest Apr 2026 (0).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 34 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 38 | 5 | 7 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 33 | 6 | 1 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 63 | 5 | 14 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 79 | 8 | 29 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 64 | 3 | 27 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 106 | 14 | 20 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | down |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | same |
| 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 Meghan E. Heesch is Mexico (166), followed by Guatemala. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (4.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 166 | 4.2 % | 27.7 % |
| Guatemala | 42 | 2.4 % | 33.3 % |
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 | 313 | 15.0 % |
| Without an attorney | 104 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- San Diego Immigration Court: 300 decisions (71.9 %)
- Otay Mesa Immigration Court: 92 decisions (22.1 %)
- Imperial Immigration Court: 25 decisions (6.0 %)