The Honorable Immigration Judge Howard E Achtsam

Harlingen, TX Immigration Court
Appointed July 1986 · President Ronald Reagan Attorney General Edwin Meese III (AG inferred from date)
40 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Caseload & process (since 2021)
316
Completions per year
1,263 total
9.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
11.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
10%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1%
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
Median bond when set
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 29.4% · median $8,250
National 41.9% · median $6,500

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
47.6% 21 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
0% 21 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
42.9% 14 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100% 3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100% 3 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
40% 10 decisions Too few cases
47.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 21 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
47.6%
This court
18.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted

Does a lawyer matter here?

Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 19 decisions since 2021
47.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 2 decisions since 2021
50%

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.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%2015: 18% of 61 decisions18%20152016: 37.5% of 32 decisions37.5%20162017: 14.3% of 7 decisions14.3%20172018: 8.7% of 46 decisions8.7%20182019: 8.3% of 48 decisions8.3%20192020: 25% of 16 decisions25%20202021: 90% of 10 decisions90%20212022: 9.1% of 11 decisions9.1%2022

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).
Harlingen, TX · home court
1,260 (100%)
3 (0.24%)