The Honorable Immigration Judge Linda I Spencer-Walters
Phoenix, AZ Immigration Court
Appointed March 2008 · President George W. Bush→ Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey(AG inferred from date)
18 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Caseload & process (since 2021)
570
Completions per year
2,279 total
2.5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
13%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
12.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
33.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
104 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.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 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
11.2%
160 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
1%
286 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
40.5%
158 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.2%
62 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
82%
211 decisions High confidence
11.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 160 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
11.2%
This court
13.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 21% 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 · 150 decisions since 2021
12%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 10 decisions since 2021
0%
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).