Appointed November 2018 · President Donald Trump→ Attorney General Jeff Sessions
7 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Renae M. Hansell earned a Bachelor of Science in 2000 from Armstrong Atlantic State University and a Juris Doctor in 2003 from Georgia State University College of Law. From 2003 to 2018, she served in various roles within the Office of the Chief Counsel at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Atlanta and Memphis, Tennessee, including law clerk, senior attorney, assistant chief counsel, and deputy chief counsel. She is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,120
Completions per year
6,722 total
6.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
42.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
3.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
32 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.
27.6%⚠
Bond requests granted
29 bond decisions Too few cases
$17,500
Median bond when set
10 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 27.6%
Court average 19.4% · median $5,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
25.3%
87 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
6.8%
117 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
48.1%⚠
27 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
66.7%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.2%
171 decisions Moderate
25.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 87 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
25.3%
This court
28%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 49% 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 · 81 decisions since 2021
27.2%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 6 decisions since 2021
0%
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).