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 Jennifer I. Gaz earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor in 1997 from DePaul University College of Law. Before her appointment, she served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2007-2017) and previously worked as an associate attorney at private law firms in Chicago and Arizona and as staff counsel for the Chicago Housing Authority's Office of General Counsel.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,108
Completions per year
12,649 total
7.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
15.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
61.4%
Appeals remanded or reversed
171 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.
27.6%
Bond requests granted
1,659 bond decisions High confidence
$7,000
Median bond when set
455 bonds with amounts
0.2%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 27.6%
Court average 26.4% · median $7,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
13.9%
814 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
4%
1,541 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
62.8%
78 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
40%⚠
15 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
84%⚠
25 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
75.4%
175 decisions Moderate
13.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 814 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
13.9%
This court
17.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 29% 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 · 643 decisions since 2021
13.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 171 decisions since 2021
15.8%
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).