The Honorable Immigration Judge Chadwick Dotson

Charlotte, NC Immigration Court
Appointed March 2026 · President Donald Trump Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration

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Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court. Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.

Background

The Honorable Immigration Judge Chadwick Dotson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from Georgetown University Law Center. Before his appointment, he served as Virginia's Director of Corrections (2023-2026), chair of the Virginia Parole Board (2022-2023), a circuit court judge in Virginia's 30th Judicial Circuit (2011-2020), a general district court judge in Virginia's 30th Judicial District (2007-2011), and Commonwealth's Attorney for Wise County and the City of Norton, Virginia (2004-2007).

Caseload & process (since 2021)
47
Completions per year
282 total
3.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
30.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
38.3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
9.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 0 appeals — too few

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
18.8% 69 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
3.2% 94 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0% 2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
0% 2 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100% 7 decisions Too few cases
18.8%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 69 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
18.8%
This court
12.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 38% 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 · 63 decisions since 2021
20.6%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 6 decisions since 2021
0%

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).
Charlotte, NC · home court
258 (91%)
6 (2.1%)
3 (1.1%)
3 (1.1%)