The Honorable Immigration Judge Stuart J Zander
Imperial, CA Immigration Court
Appointed February 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
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Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Stuart J. Zander earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2002 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctor in 2009 from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Arizona from 2018 to 2026 and previously in the District of Puerto Rico from 2015 to 2018, and held Special Assistant U.S. Attorney positions in the Western District of Missouri and the Southern District of Illinois. He began his legal career as a solo practitioner in San Diego.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
203
Completions per year
203 total
48.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
14.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 1 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.
32%
Bond requests granted
97 bond decisions Moderate
$7,000
Median bond when set
50 bonds with amounts
3.2%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 32%
Court average 87% · median $3,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
33.3%⚠ |
3 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
0%⚠ |
4 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
0%⚠ |
1 decision Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
85.7%⚠ |
14 decisions Too few cases |
33.3%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 3 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 2 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 1 decision since 2021
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).