Appointed September 2016 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
9 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Phillip M Truman earned a Bachelor of Arts (2001) from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor (2004) from the S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, after which he clerked for Justice Michael J. Wilkins of the Utah Supreme Court. Before his appointment, he served as a trial attorney for the Office of Immigration Litigation, DOJ (2005-2011), then as an assistant chief counsel for ICE, DHS, in Denver (2011-2016).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,352
Completions per year
8,114 total
2.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
19.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
26%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
9.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
110 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
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 25% · median $4,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
65.3%
1,340 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
8.5%
844 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
77.5%
111 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
87.5%⚠
48 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
90.8%
109 decisions Moderate
65.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 1,340 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
65.3%
This court
60.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 9% 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 · 1,250 decisions since 2021
69%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 90 decisions since 2021
14.4%
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).