Frequently Asked Questions

EOIR stands for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice. EOIR administers the US immigration court system, including immigration courts in approximately 70 locations and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). EOIR judges decide whether non-citizens in removal proceedings may remain in the US.

Grant rate refers to the percentage of immigration cases where a judge granted the relief sought — most commonly asylum. A judge with a 30% grant rate approved protection in 30% of the asylum cases they decided on the merits. Grant rates vary significantly across judges, courts, and nationalities.

Academic research has documented significant 'lottery effects' in immigration courts — outcomes can vary dramatically based on which judge is randomly assigned to a case. The same asylum seeker presenting the same facts can receive opposite outcomes from different judges. Variation reflects differences in individual judicial philosophy, interpretations of the law, and the types of cases each judge handles.

The EOIR FOIA dataset covers cases before immigration courts — primarily removal proceedings for non-citizens charged as removable, and asylum cases. It does not cover visa applications (handled by DOS/USCIS), naturalization applications, DACA, or other immigration benefits. Cases that were administratively closed or terminated without a merits decision may not be reflected in grant rate calculations.

The data tracks outcomes for asylum (withholding of deportation based on persecution), withholding of removal (statutory, non-asylum form), Convention Against Torture (CAT) protection, cancellation of removal for permanent residents and non-permanent residents, adjustment of status, and other forms of relief sought in immigration court.

No. Aggregate statistics describe past patterns across thousands of cases — they cannot predict outcomes in any individual case, which depends on the specific facts, evidence presented, legal arguments, representation, and many other factors. This site is for informational purposes only. Always consult a licensed immigration attorney for advice specific to your situation.

No. PlainImmigration is an independent data portal presenting publicly available EOIR FOIA data in a more accessible format. We are not affiliated with the Department of Justice, EOIR, or any government agency.