The Honorable Immigration Judge Ira Bank

Los Angeles — West, CA Immigration Court
Appointed June 1997 · President Bill Clinton → Attorney General Janet Reno (AG inferred from date)
29 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration

Background

The Honorable Immigration Judge Ira Bank received a Bachelor of Science in 1971 from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor in 1976 from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. Prior to joining the Executive Office for Immigration Review, he was in private practice in Los Angeles and Marina del Rey, California. He is a member of the California Bar.

Caseload & process (since 2021)
200
Completions per year
802 total
0.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
62.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 18 appeals — too few

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
 50.6% 89 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
 3% 100 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
 60%⚠ 20 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
 100%⚠ 2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
 98.4% 63 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
 100%⚠ 27 decisions Too few cases
50.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 89 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
50.6%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 18% 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 · 87 decisions since 2021
51.7%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 2 decisions since 2021
0%

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: 52.2% of 46 decisions52.2%20152016: 55.6% of 45 decisions55.6%20162017: 29.5% of 105 decisions29.5%20172019: 14.5% of 110 decisions14.5%20192020: 3.9% of 103 decisions3.9%20202021: 44.1% of 34 decisions44.1%20212022: 57.1% of 42 decisions57.1%20222023: 46.2% of 13 decisions46.2%2023

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).
Los Angeles, CA · home court
802 (100%)