Appointed February 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Vimala S Mangoli earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1985 from Ramnarain Ruia College in Mumbai, India, and a Bachelor of Laws in 1988 from Government Law College in Mumbai. From 2004 to 2022 she worked at Catholic Charities Diocese of Palm Beach Inc., Immigrant Legal Services, as senior immigration attorney and assistant program administrator (2007-2022) and as a fully accredited representative (2004-2007), and from 1989 to 2002 she was a solo practitioner handling civil litigation, real estate, and corporate law in Mumbai, India. She is a member of the Washington State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
532
Completions per year
2,127 total
88.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
0.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
1.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
30.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
33 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.
60.4%
Bond requests granted
101 bond decisions Moderate
$5,000
Median bond when set
55 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 60.4%
Court average 43% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
6.9%
101 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
1.9%
216 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
42.9%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
40%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
80.6%⚠
36 decisions Too few cases
6.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 101 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
6.9%
This court
22.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 11% 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 · 91 decisions since 2021
7.7%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 10 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.
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).