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 James F. Polivka earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University and his Juris Doctor from Cleveland State University. He served as an immigration services officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and, from 2014 to 2022, as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in multiple locations. He is a member of the Missouri Bar and was appointed as an immigration judge in February 2023, sitting at the Fort Worth Immigration Adjudication Center.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,657
Completions per year
8,285 total
20.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
19.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
42.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
15.9%
Appeals remanded or reversed
126 appeals decided
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
37.5%
Bond requests granted
280 bond decisions High confidence
$7,500
Median bond when set
102 bonds with amounts
1%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 37.5%
Court average 24% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
7.9%
700 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1%
1,198 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
3.5%
57 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
11.1%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
80%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
57.6%
257 decisions High confidence
7.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 700 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.9%
This court
14.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 13% 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 · 450 decisions since 2021
11.6%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 250 decisions since 2021
1.2%
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).