Appointed October 2022 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Ann Welhaf earned a Bachelor of Science in 1986 from the University of Alabama and a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws in 1990 from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. From 2008 to 2021, she served as a trial attorney at the Office of Immigration Litigation, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice. From 2004 to 2008, she was managing counsel of the Washington, D.C. Field Litigation Office, and from 1990 to 2003 she was a trial attorney for the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
566
Completions per year
2,830 total
0.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
14 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
27.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 10 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
37.1%
375 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
11.9%
413 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
16.7%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
66.7%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
37.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 375 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
37.1%
This court
42%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 33% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 328 decisions since 2021
41.8%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 47 decisions since 2021
4.3%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).