Judge James T. Dehn
How is this compared?
This judge: 66 of 1,001 (6.6 %) got relief. The other judges in the court: 894 of 14,815 (6.0 %). 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, 7 got relief. Even so, most end without relief.
3 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, 10 of every 100 got relief; without one, 1 of every 100 (10.4 % and 1.0 %).
Of their 1,001 decisions, 66 ended with relief, 76 with the case closed, 75 with voluntary departure and 784 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 66 | 6.6 % |
| Case closed | 76 | 7.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 75 | 7.5 % |
| Removal order | 784 | 78.3 % |
| Decided in absentia | 321 | 32.1 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With James T. Dehn, the share of cases with relief is 6.6 %: higher than at the Sterling court (6.1 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With James T. Dehn, the share of removal orders is 78.3 %: higher than at the Sterling court (75.7 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With James T. Dehn, the share of cases decided in absentia is 32.1 %: lower than at the Sterling court (33.0 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With James T. Dehn, the share of people with an attorney is 59.3 %: lower than at the Sterling court (66.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with James T. Dehn take about the same as at the Sterling court: a median of 864 days versus 833.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 7 of 21 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 14 of 21 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 10 of 21 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 87 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 (143 decisions) and the quietest Aug 2026 (43).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 58 | 9 | 10 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 74 | 10 | 17 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 57 | 5 | 14 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 84 | 4 | 21 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 99 | 7 | 30 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 108 | 7 | 34 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 143 | 5 | 48 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 96 | 0 | 43 | down |
| May 2026 | 76 | 2 | 24 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 76 | 11 | 33 | same |
| Jul 2026 | 87 | 5 | 31 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 43 | 1 | 16 | 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 James T. Dehn is Honduras (214), followed by El Salvador, Venezuela, Guatemala and Peru. The highest share with relief was for people from Venezuela (15.0 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 214 | 1.9 % | 26.6 % |
| El Salvador | 173 | 1.2 % | 23.1 % |
| Venezuela | 120 | 15.0 % | 37.5 % |
| Guatemala | 115 | 0.0 % | 37.4 % |
| Peru | 99 | 1.0 % | 37.4 % |
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 | 594 | 10.4 % |
| Without an attorney | 407 | 1.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Sterling Immigration Court: 1,001 decisions (100.0 %)