Appointed April 2021 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
5 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Mark Whitworth earned a Bachelor of Journalism in 1985 and a Juris Doctor in 1993, both from the University of Texas at Austin. From 2003 to 2021, he served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. From 2001 to 2003, he served as an assistant district counsel with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and from 1994 to 2001 as an assistant attorney general for the Texas Office of the Attorney General. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
480
Completions per year
1,441 total
2.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
49.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
25.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
5.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
38 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
2 bond decisions Too few cases
$10,000
Median bond when set
1 bonds with amounts
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
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
10.7%
233 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.9%
370 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
71.4%⚠
28 decisions Too few cases
10.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 233 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
10.7%
This court
6.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 20% 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 · 205 decisions since 2021
10.2%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 28 decisions since 2021
14.3%
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).