Appointed October 2010 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
15 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Lisa Luis earned a Bachelor of Science in 1990 from the University of Houston and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the University of Houston Law Center. From 2008 to 2010, she served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas. From 2003 to 2008, she worked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in various counsel roles, including assistant chief counsel and acting deputy chief counsel. From 1995 to 2003, she served as an assistant district counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and she began her legal career in 1994 as a judicial law clerk at the Houston Immigration Court through the Attorney General's Honors Program. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,061
Completions per year
5,303 total
4.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
3.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
20.3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
0.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 7 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
50%⚠
Bond requests granted
2 bond decisions Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
100%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 50%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
0%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
9.5%⚠
21 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
100%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
75%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.4%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 9 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
0%
This court
10.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 7 decisions since 2021
0%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 2 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).