The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 22.9% historical asylum grant rate for Arlene E. Dorfman at Van Nuys, CA, based on 1,776 grants and 5,976 denials (7,752 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Arlene E. Dorfman with Van Nuys, CA. With an asylum approval rate of 22.9%, this judge is above 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.
Community Discussion
DATAAsylumTracker Data
Judge Dorfman (Van Nuys, CA) data snapshot: Armenia vs Colombia grant rates differ 52×, overall rate fell from 30% to 3% in 3 years
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Dorfman, Arlene E. (IJ code ARD, Van Nuys, CA):
Overall track record
37 years on the bench (since 1990), 8,791 cases total, lifetime grant rate 23.9%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 3,728 cases, grant rate 12.3% — roughly in line with the Van Nuys court average (10.9%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Mexico 1244 11.4%
Guatemala 513 3.3%
El Salvador 344 9.5%
Peru 312 3.1%
Nicaragua 266 5.6%
Colombia 206 1.0%
Honduras 184 1.7%
Armenia 142 52.9%
Russia 93 29.4%
India 80 35.5%
Venezuela 78 2.8%
Armenia applicants see a 52.9% grant rate versus 1.0% for Colombia applicants — a 51.6× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2023: 592 cases, 29.6% grant rate
2024: 752 cases, 15.6% grant rate
2025: 1149 cases, 10.4% grant rate
2026: 1235 cases, 3.2% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Dorfman, I'd love to hear:
1. What's your nationality, and when was your most recent hearing?
2. How did your attorney prepare for this judge specifically?
Source: EOIR (U.S. Executive Office for Immigration Review) public statistics, May 2026 release, compiled by AsylumTracker. A judge's historical pattern does not predict the outcome of any individual case; this is shared to help set realistic expectations. Real-experience accounts from the community are welcome.
Have experience with this judge? Open AsylumTracker to reply or read more responses from the community.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Arlene E. Dorfman is listed with the Van Nuys, CA Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 22.9% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Mexico (1,615 decided, 22.5% grant rate), Guatemala (611 decided, 6.2% grant rate), and El Salvador (475 decided, 16.0% 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.
What is Judge Arlene E. Dorfman's asylum grant rate?
Judge Arlene E. Dorfman granted asylum in 22.9% of 7,752 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Arlene E. Dorfman grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (22.9%) is above the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Van Nuys, CA grants 10.3%. 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.
