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 Lydia Tamez earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1981 from Yale University and a Juris Doctor in 1985 from Yale Law School. From 2019 to 2021, she served as an associate judge for the City of Houston Municipal Courts and maintained a private practice in Houston from 2016 to 2021. She previously served as counselor at law at Graves and Graves LLP (2015-2016), partner at Foster LLP (2012-2015), and in various roles at Microsoft Corporation from 1995 to 2011. Earlier she was an attorney at Tindall and Foster PC from 1986 to 1995. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Washington State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,396
Completions per year
8,377 total
5.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
15.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
30.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
2.5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
40 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.
64.5%⚠
Bond requests granted
31 bond decisions Too few cases
$7,500
Median bond when set
20 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 64.5%
Court average 48.8% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
9.4%
896 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1%
1,544 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
6.5%⚠
46 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
37.5%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
79.4%⚠
34 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
52.8%
233 decisions High confidence
9.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 896 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
9.4%
This court
6.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 17% 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 · 742 decisions since 2021
11.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 154 decisions since 2021
0.6%
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).