Asylum Grant Rate
55.4% of merits decisions
Asylum cases decided at Philadelphia Immigration Court
Courts → Philadelphia, PA
Immigration court · Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Immigration Court
55.4% asylum grant rate across 10,681 merits decisions (FY2015–2025) - above the 48.2% national average.
Data updated 2026-06-21
- 55.4%
- Asylum grant rate
- 44.6%
- Asylum denial rate
- 72,217
- Pending cases
- 32 mo
- Time to decision
The verdict
The Philadelphia Immigration Court granted asylum in 55.4% of the 10,681 cases it decided on the merits - above the 48.2% national rate.
- 55.4%
- Asylum grant rate
- 10,681
- Merits decisions, FY2015–2025
- 22
- Judges with reported asylum decisions
- 72,217
- 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: Philadelphia Immigration Court
The Philadelphia Immigration Court, based in Philadelphia, PA, decided 10,681 asylum cases on the merits between FY2015 and FY2025 - out of 240,603 total proceedings of all case types it handled. Of those asylum decisions, 5,912 were granted (55.4%) and 4,769 were denied (44.6%). The court has 22 immigration judges with enough asylum decisions to report, whose individual grant rates shape the court-wide average shown above.
Between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2025, the grant rate at Philadelphia Immigration Court fell by 13.3 percentage points, moving from 64.7% to 51.4%. That window spans 11 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 MCL decided the most asylum cases here - 1,805 merits decisions (50.1% grant rate). The spread between the highest-grant and lowest-grant judges at this court is 92.9 percentage points - ILD at 92.9% versus JHW at 0.0%. 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.
55.4%
Asylum Grant Rate
44.6%
Asylum Denial Rate
10,681
Asylum Decisions
32 mo
Avg Time to Decision
Pending Cases
72,217
Open proceedings (all case types)
Asylum Decisions
10,681
Merits decisions, FY2015–2025
Grant rate over time
Asylum grant rate by fiscal year at Philadelphia Immigration Court.
| Fiscal year | Decisions | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | 184 | 64.7% |
| FY2016 | 204 | 76.5% |
| FY2017 | 403 | 63.0% |
| FY2018 | 629 | 61.4% |
| FY2019 | 1,213 | 46.2% |
| FY2020 | 989 | 39.2% |
| FY2021 | 903 | 42.4% |
| FY2022 | 1,048 | 65.4% |
| FY2023 | 1,369 | 62.8% |
| FY2024 | 1,253 | 67.4% |
| FY2025 | 2,486 | 51.4% |
The judge lottery at Philadelphia Immigration Court
22 judges with enough asylum decisions to report. Grant rates run from 92.9% (28 decisions) down to 0.0% (36 decisions) - a 92.9-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 ILD | 28 | |
| 2 | Judge ASG | 481 | |
| 3 | Judge DKU | 439 | |
| 4 | Judge AYG | 67 | |
| 5 | Judge CMH | 479 | |
| 6 | Judge LTF | 306 | |
| 7 | Judge JHS | 964 | |
| 8 | Judge AOC | 454 | |
| 9 | Judge LDC | 112 | |
| 10 | Judge RPM | 657 | |
| 11 | Judge SAM | 929 | |
| 12 | Judge DCV | 226 | |
| 13 | Judge PKE | 299 | |
| 14 | Judge JCA | 1,805 | |
| 15 | Judge MAF | 290 | |
| 16 | Judge MCL | 1,805 | |
| 17 | Judge FHR | 683 | |
| 18 | Judge MIA | 105 | |
| 19 | Judge WMD | 180 | |
| 20 | Judge KQG | 152 | |
| 21 | Judge ASH | 38 | |
| 22 | Judge JHW | 36 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the grant rate at the Philadelphia Immigration Court immigration court? ▼
The Philadelphia Immigration Court immigration court has an overall grant rate of 55.4% and a denial rate of 44.6%, based on 10,681 asylum merits decisions (FY2015–2025) from DOJ EOIR records.
How many immigration judges serve at Philadelphia Immigration Court? ▼
Philadelphia Immigration Court has 22 immigration judges on record. Grant rates vary significantly between judges, from 0.0% to 92.9%.
How long do cases take at Philadelphia Immigration Court? ▼
The average wait time at Philadelphia Immigration Court is approximately 32 months. Wait times vary based on case type, docket load, and whether continuances are granted.
Where is the Philadelphia Immigration Court immigration court located? ▼
The Philadelphia Immigration Court immigration court is located in Philadelphia, PA. It is part of the DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) system.
Does the grant rate predict my case outcome at Philadelphia Immigration Court? ▼
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 Philadelphia Immigration Court grant rate changed over time? ▼
Between FY2015 and FY2025, the grant rate at Philadelphia Immigration Court decreased from 64.7% to 51.4%. 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.