Appointed March 2019 · President Donald Trump→ Attorney General Matthew Whitaker
7 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Eric Dillow earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1986 from the University of Illinois, a Juris Doctor in 1990 from the University of Nebraska College of Law, and a Master of Urban Planning in 1992 from the University of Illinois. Before his appointment, he served as a judge advocate with the U.S. Air Force at multiple locations worldwide (1990-2012) and later worked with a veterans treatment court (2012-2018).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
605
Completions per year
3,628 total
11.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
15.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
13.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 8 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.
14.3%⚠
Bond requests granted
42 bond decisions Too few cases
$2,500
Median bond when set
3 bonds with amounts
50%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 14.3%
Court average 21.8% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
22.7%
88 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
12.2%
82 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
31.7%⚠
41 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
0%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
50%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
83.2%
101 decisions Moderate
22.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 88 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
22.7%
This court
4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 45% 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 · 76 decisions since 2021
21.1%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 12 decisions since 2021
33.3%
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.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
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).