The Honorable Immigration Judge Colleen ODonnell
Laredo, TX Immigration Court
Appointed August 2023 · President Joe Biden → Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Colleen O'Donnell earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from Miami University (Ohio) and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. From 2013 to 2023 she served as a trial judge in Ohio's Franklin County Common Pleas Court, General Division, and from 2007 to 2013 she practiced law at Carpenter Lipps LLP; she previously served as a judicial law clerk and an assistant attorney general. She is a member of the Ohio State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
118
Completions per year
118 total
43.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
24.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
3.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 4 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 43% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
0%⚠ |
16 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
2.6%⚠ |
39 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
0%⚠ |
2 decisions Too few cases |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 16 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 2 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 14 decisions since 2021
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).