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 Marlem Nava earned a Bachelor of Science in 1997 from DePaul University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. She served as an assistant chief counsel at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2016-2022) and as an assistant state's attorney with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago (2003-2013). She also worked in private practice and as an associate attorney at Salgado and Associates in San Francisco. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
786
Completions per year
4,715 total
4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
23.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
33.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
8.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
26.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
179 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
34%
611 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.5%
597 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
0%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
75%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
98.7%
79 decisions Moderate
34%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 611 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
34%
This court
57.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 38% 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 · 555 decisions since 2021
36%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 56 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.
* 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).