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 Michelle Venci earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1997 from the University of Notre Dame and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Chicago-Kent College of Law. From 2010 to 2022, she served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor in Chicago, and held the same position in Orlando, Florida, from 2007 to 2010. She earlier served as an assistant state's attorney with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago from 2002 to 2007. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,839
Completions per year
11,036 total
2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
19.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
38.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
7.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
51 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
29.3%
581 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3.4%
710 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
18.3%
60 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
92.3%⚠
13 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
89.2%⚠
37 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
90.2%
132 decisions Moderate
29.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 581 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
29.3%
This court
45.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 46% 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 · 504 decisions since 2021
33.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 77 decisions since 2021
2.6%
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).