Appointed October 2021 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
4 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Rebecca J Walters earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2005 from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor in 2010 from the American University Washington College of Law. Her prior experience included work at the non-profit Ayuda and a staff assistant position with the American Bar Association's Commission. She was appointed as an assistant chief immigration judge.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
239
Completions per year
1,432 total
1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
62 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
8.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
0.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 5 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
85.2%
54 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
15%⚠
20 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
97.1%⚠
34 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
97.4%⚠
38 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
85.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 54 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
85.2%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 2% 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 · 54 decisions since 2021
85.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented
no data
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).