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 Irma Perez earned a Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University in 2004 and a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, in 2011. She was in private practice at the Law Office of Irma Perez PC in Pasadena, California (2015-2023), practicing before EOIR, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State, and earlier was an associate at Daniel Shanfield Immigration Defense PC in San Jose, California (2012-2015). She is a member of the State Bar of California.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
386
Completions per year
2,316 total
0.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
15.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
30.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 3 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
48.5%
171 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
5.5%
165 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
50%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
66.7%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
84.6%⚠
13 decisions Too few cases
48.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 171 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
48.5%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 21% 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 · 167 decisions since 2021
49.7%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 4 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.
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).