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 Ryan Thompson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2006 from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and a Juris Doctor in 2013 from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. From 2024 to 2025, he was an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and from 2014 to 2024 he was an assistant district attorney general at the Shelby County District Attorney General's Office in Memphis, Tennessee. Earlier he was a Memphis police officer from 2007 to 2014, and he served with the Tennessee National Guard from 2006 to 2025, deploying to the Middle East in 2019-2020. He is a member of the Tennessee Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
282
Completions per year
1,126 total
81.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
12.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
3.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 3 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
42.9%
Bond requests granted
163 bond decisions Moderate
$5,000
Median bond when set
69 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 42.9%
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
0%⚠
23 decisions Too few cases
Withholding / CAT
0%
50 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
3.6%⚠
28 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
0%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Voluntary departure
96.8%
154 decisions Moderate
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 23 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
This judge
0%
This court
28%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 16 decisions since 2021
0%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 7 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).