Appointed April 2009 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.(AG inferred from date)
17 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge James K Grim earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Before his appointment, he served as deputy chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Orlando (2008-2009), as an attorney for Customs and Border Protection in Tampa (2005-2008), and as an assistant chief counsel for ICE in Bradenton (2003-2005). He earlier worked as an assistant district counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in Bradenton and Miami and in private practice and legal services in Nebraska. He is a member of the Nebraska Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,288
Completions per year
7,728 total
1.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
26.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
15.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
4.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
46 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.
25%⚠
Bond requests granted
8 bond decisions Too few cases
$5,000
Median bond when set
2 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 25%
Court average 71.7% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
43.2%
324 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
4.4%
363 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
69.9%
73 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
80%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
94.7%
94 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
86.1%⚠
36 decisions Too few cases
43.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 324 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
43.2%
This court
22.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 26% 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 · 293 decisions since 2021
44.4%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 31 decisions since 2021
32.3%
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).