Asylum Grant Rate
54.5% of merits decisions
Asylum cases decided at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)
Courts → Chelmsford, MA
Immigration court · Chelmsford, MA
Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)
54.5% asylum grant rate across 877 merits decisions (FY2015–2025) - above the 48.2% national average.
Data updated 2026-06-21
- 54.5%
- Asylum grant rate
- 45.5%
- Asylum denial rate
- 183
- Pending cases
- 40 mo
- Time to decision
The verdict
The Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) granted asylum in 54.5% of the 877 cases it decided on the merits - above the 48.2% national rate.
- 54.5%
- Asylum grant rate
- 877
- Merits decisions, FY2015–2025
- 15
- Judges with reported asylum decisions
- 183
- Pending cases (all types)
Statistical data only. Grant rates reflect historical case outcomes and are not predictive of any individual case result.
Consult a licensed immigration attorney for legal advice.
Case Insights: Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)
The Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained), based in Chelmsford, MA, decided 877 asylum cases on the merits between FY2015 and FY2025 - out of 11,454 total proceedings of all case types it handled. Of those asylum decisions, 478 were granted (54.5%) and 399 were denied (45.5%). The court has 15 immigration judges with enough asylum decisions to report, whose individual grant rates shape the court-wide average shown above.
Between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2025, the grant rate at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) fell by 50.6 percentage points, moving from 100.0% to 49.4%. That window spans 3 fiscal years of reported data, covering shifts in bench composition, policy guidance, and nationality mix. The year-by-year table lower on this page shows the underlying annual case volume for every year in the series.
Outcomes vary substantially judge-to-judge. Judge SAA decided the most asylum cases here - 98 merits decisions (85.7% grant rate). The spread between the highest-grant and lowest-grant judges at this court is 68.9 percentage points - NIF at 93.3% versus YMC at 24.4%. These differences reflect case mix, nationality assignments, and docket type rather than any single factor, and they are why EOIR cautions readers against treating any judge's rate as predictive of an individual case.
54.5%
Asylum Grant Rate
45.5%
Asylum Denial Rate
877
Asylum Decisions
40 mo
Avg Time to Decision
Pending Cases
183
Open proceedings (all case types)
Asylum Decisions
877
Merits decisions, FY2015–2025
Grant rate over time
Asylum grant rate by fiscal year at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained).
| Fiscal year | Decisions | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 2 | 100.0% |
| FY2024 | 717 | 55.5% |
| FY2025 | 158 | 49.4% |
The judge lottery at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)
15 judges with enough asylum decisions to report. Grant rates run from 93.3% (30 decisions) down to 24.4% (82 decisions) - a 68.9-point spread on the same bench. Rates based on smaller decision counts carry more statistical noise.
Judge names below are the anonymized judge codes EOIR assigns in its public case-data release, not verified public identities. EOIR does not publish immigration judges' full names in this dataset. See our methodology for detail.
| # | Judge | Decisions | Asylum grant rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judge NIF | 30 | |
| 2 | Judge AMS | 26 | |
| 3 | Judge SAA | 98 | |
| 4 | Judge AMO | 70 | |
| 5 | Judge JBY | 64 | |
| 6 | Judge JAZ | 34 | |
| 7 | Judge JMW | 55 | |
| 8 | Judge NSM | 36 | |
| 9 | Judge NYG | 34 | |
| 10 | Judge DDO | 29 | |
| 11 | Judge GEP | 90 | |
| 12 | Judge LSY | 88 | |
| 13 | Judge HAK | 94 | |
| 14 | Judge JAH | 37 | |
| 15 | Judge YMC | 82 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the grant rate at the Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) immigration court? ▼
The Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) immigration court has an overall grant rate of 54.5% and a denial rate of 45.5%, based on 877 asylum merits decisions (FY2015–2025) from DOJ EOIR records.
How many immigration judges serve at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)? ▼
Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) has 15 immigration judges on record. Grant rates vary significantly between judges, from 24.4% to 93.3%.
How long do cases take at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)? ▼
The average wait time at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) is approximately 40 months. Wait times vary based on case type, docket load, and whether continuances are granted.
Where is the Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) immigration court located? ▼
The Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) immigration court is located in Chelmsford, MA. It is part of the DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) system.
Does the grant rate predict my case outcome at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained)? ▼
No. Grant rates are historical averages reflecting aggregate outcomes across all case types and judges. Individual outcomes depend on the specific facts of each case, the judge assigned, the type of relief sought, and whether you have legal representation. Always consult a licensed immigration attorney.
How has the Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) grant rate changed over time? ▼
Between FY2023 and FY2025, the grant rate at Chelmsford Immigration Court (Detained) decreased from 100.0% to 49.4%. Year-by-year data is shown in the trends table on this page.
Explore PlainImmigration
Data from the DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) via FOIA bulk case data. Statistical information only, not legal advice.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: U.S. EOIR, Immigration Court Statistics Immigration court outcomes by court and case type · 2025
Every figure on PlainImmigration is rendered directly from federal immigration court records, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on DOJ EOIR case-level records, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.