Immigration judge
Judge Howard E. Achtsam
Immigration Judge at Pearsall South, TX
EOIR data through Sep 1, 2026 · updated monthly
- 1,179
- Granted
- 30,689
- Denied
- 31,868
- Total Decided
The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 3.7% historical asylum grant rate for Howard E. Achtsam at Pearsall South, TX, based on 1,179 grants and 30,689 denials (31,868 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Howard E. Achtsam with Pearsall South, TX. With an asylum approval rate of 3.7%, this judge is below average compared to the national average. Data sourced from EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review). Historical listings do not by themselves establish a current assignment.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Howard E. Achtsam is listed with the Pearsall South, TX Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 3.7% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Honduras (376 decided, 0.3% grant rate), Guatemala (129 decided, 0.0% grant rate), and El Salvador (107 decided, 0.9% grant rate). Compare these rows with the judge's overall rate because nationality mix can materially change how the headline number should be read.
Grant rate is calculated as granted / (granted + denied). Other procedural outcomes, including terminated, withdrawn, administratively closed, or removed cases, are tracked separately where available and are not treated as asylum grants.
This page is based on public EOIR data last updated 2026-09-01. It is for research and information only, not legal advice.
Read the grant-rate methodology or learn how to read immigration judge statistics.
Nationality Breakdown
| Nationality | Cases | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 376 | 0.3% |
| Guatemala | 129 | 0.0% |
| El Salvador | 107 | 0.9% |
| Mexico | 70 | 28.6% |
| Nicaragua | 66 | 0.0% |
| Cuba | 28 | 3.6% |
| Ecuador | 19 | 0.0% |
| Venezuela | 7 | 42.9% |
Yearly Trends
| Year | Cases | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 148 | 5.4% |
| 2021 | 7 | 42.9% |
| 2020 | 661 | 2.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Judge Howard E. Achtsam's asylum grant rate?
Judge Howard E. Achtsam granted asylum in 3.7% of 31,868 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Howard E. Achtsam grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (3.7%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Pearsall South, TX grants 4.5%. It is a historical average, not a prediction for any one case.
How is this grant rate calculated?
Grants divided by grants plus denials. Terminations, withdrawals and administrative closures are not counted.