The Honorable Immigration Judge J. Daniel Dowell

Miami, FL Immigration Court
Appointed December 1990 · President George H. W. Bush → Attorney General Dick Thornburgh (AG inferred from date)
35 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration

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Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court. Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.

Background

The Honorable Immigration Judge J. Daniel Dowell earned a Bachelor of Science in 1977 from James Madison University and a Juris Doctor in 1980 from George Mason University School of Law. Before his appointment, he served as an attorney-advisor with the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia, from 1981 until his appointment in 1990.

Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,692
Completions per year
10,150 total
1.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
23.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
14.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
27.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
139 appeals decided

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
 14.6% 288 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
 6.1% 521 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
 100%⚠ 3 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
 100%⚠ 1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
 100%⚠ 32 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
 100% 101 decisions Moderate
14.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 288 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
14.6%
This court
20.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 31% 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 · 260 decisions since 2021
16.2%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 28 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: 63.6% of 11 decisions63.6%20152016: 11.1% of 9 decisions11.1%20162017: 12.9% of 139 decisions12.9%20172018: 6.2% of 322 decisions6.2%20182019: 3% of 265 decisions3%20192020: 8.1% of 74 decisions8.1%20202021: 2.3% of 44 decisions2.3%20212022: 28.8% of 80 decisions28.8%20222023: 14% of 86 decisions14%20232024: 16.1% of 31 decisions16.1%20242025: 3% of 33 decisions3%20252026 (partial year): 0% of 14 decisions0%2026*
* 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).
Miami, FL · home court
10,110 (100%)
Houston, TX
5 (0.05%)
Orlando, FL
4 (0.04%)
Charlotte, NC
4 (0.04%)
Las Vegas, NV
3 (0.03%)
Imperial, CA
2 (0.02%)