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 J. Miller, Jr. earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1987 from Loras College and a Juris Doctor in 1990 from Hamline University School of Law. He served as a claims, civil and administrative law attorney and prosecutor with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps at Fort Bliss, Texas (1990-1994) and as senior defense counsel with the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service at Fort Polk, Louisiana (1994-1998). From 1998 until his appointment in 2020 he was chief assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, Pecos Division, in Alpine, Texas. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,427
Completions per year
14,564 total
4.5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
12.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
89 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.
33.3%⚠
Bond requests granted
15 bond decisions Too few cases
$5,000
Median bond when set
5 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 33.3%
Court average 0%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
13.3%
819 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.5%
1,200 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
29.6%
54 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
87.5%⚠
16 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
67.7%
62 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
91.6%
155 decisions Moderate
13.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 819 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
13.3%
This court
18.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 27% 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 · 571 decisions since 2021
18.6%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 248 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).