Judge Wilbur Lee
How is this compared?
This judge: 35 of 1,169 (3.0 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 597 of 20,825 (2.9 %). 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, 3 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
23 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 (3.9 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,169 decisions, 35 ended with relief, 61 with the case closed, 56 with voluntary departure and 1,017 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 35 | 3.0 % |
| Case closed | 61 | 5.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 56 | 4.8 % |
| Removal order | 1,017 | 87.0 % |
| Decided in absentia | 270 | 23.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Wilbur Lee, the share of cases with relief is 3.0 %: similar than at the Santa Ana court (2.9 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Wilbur Lee, the share of removal orders is 87.0 %: higher than at the Santa Ana court (85.6 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Wilbur Lee, the share of cases decided in absentia is 23.1 %: lower than at the Santa Ana court (33.3 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Wilbur Lee, the share of people with an attorney is 76.4 %: higher than at the Santa Ana court (73.2 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Wilbur Lee take longer than at the Santa Ana court: a median of 824 days versus 755.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 11 of 20 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 15 of 20 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 16 of 20 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 61 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 (160 decisions) and the quietest Jun 2026 (31).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 84 | 3 | 36 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 100 | 0 | 34 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 82 | 3 | 0 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 92 | 6 | 1 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 93 | 2 | 1 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 129 | 6 | 23 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 160 | 7 | 44 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 83 | 1 | 36 | down |
| May 2026 | 101 | 7 | 18 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 31 | 0 | 4 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 106 | 0 | 15 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 108 | 0 | 58 | 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 Wilbur Lee is Mexico (371), followed by Guatemala, Colombia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (2.4 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 371 | 2.4 % | 25.9 % |
| Guatemala | 138 | 0.0 % | 24.6 % |
| Colombia | 131 | 1.5 % | 22.1 % |
| Nicaragua | 82 | 0.0 % | 18.3 % |
| Venezuela | 70 | 0.0 % | 20.0 % |
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 | 893 | 3.9 % |
| Without an attorney | 276 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Santa Ana Immigration Court: 1,169 decisions (100.0 %)