The Honorable Immigration Judge James M Rice
Cleveland, OH Immigration Court
Appointed May 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Todd Blanche
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
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Source:
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Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge James M Rice earned a Bachelor of Science in business finance and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2005 from Miami University and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from Regent University School of Law. From July 2020 to April 2026, he served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Cleveland, with prior prosecutorial experience in the same jurisdiction. He was appointed to the Cleveland Immigration Court in May 2026 as part of the largest class of immigration judges in EOIR history.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
4
Completions per year
4 total
0%
Detained at decision
share of cases
39.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
0%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
0%⚠ |
2 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
0%⚠ |
4 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
100%⚠ |
1 decision Too few cases |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 2 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 1 decision since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 1 decision since 2021
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).