The Honorable Immigration Judge Stephen M Ruhle

El Paso — Service Processing Center, TX Immigration Court
Appointed March 2008 · President George W. Bush → Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey (AG inferred from date)
18 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration

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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.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,439
Completions per year
8,636 total
59.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
13%
Appeals remanded or reversed
108 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.
49.2%
Bond requests granted
2,602 bond decisions High confidence
$2,000
Median bond when set
1,245 bonds with amounts
0.1%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 49.2%
Court average 32.8% · 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
 24% 329 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
 5.4% 794 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
 36.4%⚠ 33 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
 60%⚠ 35 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
 68.4%⚠ 19 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
 70.4% 443 decisions High confidence
24%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 329 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
24%
This court
16.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 47% 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 · 151 decisions since 2021
38.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 178 decisions since 2021
11.8%

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.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%2015: 0% of 14 decisions0%20152016: 12.8% of 39 decisions12.8%20162017: 8.3% of 12 decisions8.3%20172018: 29.3% of 116 decisions29.3%20182019: 25% of 32 decisions25%20192020: 0% of 1 decisions0%20202021: 0% of 4 decisions0%20212022: 44.3% of 70 decisions44.3%20222023: 23.1% of 78 decisions23.1%20232024: 14.8% of 88 decisions14.8%20242025: 18.8% of 69 decisions18.8%20252026 (partial year): 20% of 20 decisions20%2026*
* 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).
El Paso, TX · home court
7,587 (88%)
Otero, NM
837 (9.7%)
El Paso, TX
212 (2.5%)