Judge Karen Hope
How is this compared?
This judge: 13 of 1,109 (1.2 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 958 of 15,493 (6.2 %). 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 (1.8 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 1,109 decisions, 13 ended with relief, 80 with the case closed, 83 with voluntary departure and 933 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 13 | 1.2 % |
| Case closed | 80 | 7.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 83 | 7.5 % |
| Removal order | 933 | 84.1 % |
| Decided in absentia | 488 | 44.0 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Karen Hope, the share of cases with relief is 1.2 %: lower than at the Sterling court (6.1 %) and lower than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Karen Hope, the share of removal orders is 84.1 %: higher than at the Sterling court (75.7 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Karen Hope, the share of cases decided in absentia is 44.0 %: higher than at the Sterling court (33.0 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Karen Hope, the share of people with an attorney is 64.0 %: lower than at the Sterling court (66.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Karen Hope take less time than at the Sterling court: a median of 784 days versus 833.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 20 of 21 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 3 of 21 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 5 of 21 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 34 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jan 2026 (139 decisions) and the quietest Oct 2025 (41).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 113 | 0 | 74 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 41 | 1 | 27 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 86 | 4 | 51 | up |
| Dec 2025 | 89 | 1 | 23 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 139 | 1 | 58 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 101 | 1 | 27 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 125 | 3 | 28 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 41 | 0 | 12 | down |
| May 2026 | 67 | 0 | 34 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 94 | 0 | 36 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 88 | 1 | 30 | down |
| Aug 2026 | 125 | 1 | 88 | 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 Karen Hope is Mexico (251), followed by Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela and El Salvador. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (1.2 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 251 | 1.2 % | 43.4 % |
| Guatemala | 146 | 0.7 % | 39.0 % |
| Colombia | 122 | 0.0 % | 54.9 % |
| Venezuela | 119 | 0.0 % | 68.9 % |
| El Salvador | 91 | 0.0 % | 25.3 % |
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 | 710 | 1.8 % |
| Without an attorney | 399 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Santa Ana Immigration Court: 699 decisions (63.0 %)
- Sterling Immigration Court: 323 decisions (29.1 %)
- Chicago Immigration Court: 73 decisions (6.6 %)
- Oakdale Immigration Court: 14 decisions (1.3 %)