Immigration judge

Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman

Immigration Judge at Sacramento, CA

11.3%Grant rate · all years
Jonathan W. Hitesman11.3%
Court median judge45.3%
National16.6%

EOIR data through Sep 1, 2026 · updated monthly

222
Granted
1,736
Denied
1,958
Total Decided
Snapshot answer

The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 11.3% historical asylum grant rate for Jonathan W. Hitesman at Sacramento, CA, based on 222 grants and 1,736 denials (1,958 decided outcomes).

The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Jonathan W. Hitesman with Sacramento, CA. With an asylum approval rate of 11.3%, 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.

Community Discussion

DATA

Judge Hitesman (Sacramento, CA) data snapshot: Overall rate fell from 20% to 4% in 3 years

A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Hitesman, Jonathan W. (IJ code JH1, Sacramento, CA):

6 years on the bench (since 2021), 2,089 cases total, lifetime grant rate 13.4%

Last 3 years (2023–2026): 1,858 cases, grant rate 7.7% — 28.7pp below the Sacramento court average (36.4%)

Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Mexico                 704    6.9%
Guatemala              238    1.7%
El Salvador            130    3.2%
Colombia               120    1.2%
Honduras               119    1.0%
Nicaragua              113    4.6%
Venezuela               98    1.4%
Peru                    70    0.0%
Russia                  62   69.1%
India                   48   23.3%
Ecuador                 24    0.0%
2023:  150 cases, 19.7% grant rate
2024:  127 cases, 16.0% grant rate
2025:  716 cases, 7.2% grant rate
2026:  865 cases, 3.8% grant rate

If you've appeared before Judge Hitesman, 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

Jonathan W. Hitesman is listed with the Sacramento, CA Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 11.3% 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 (796 decided, 9.9% grant rate), Guatemala (225 decided, 3.1% grant rate), and Honduras (131 decided, 3.8% 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

NationalityCasesGrant rate
Mexico 796 9.9%
Guatemala 225 3.1%
Honduras 131 3.8%
El Salvador 126 4.0%
Nicaragua 117 7.7%
Colombia 91 1.1%
Venezuela 89 1.1%
Russia 84 54.8%

Yearly Trends

YearCasesGrant rate
2026 906 2.8%
2025 598 7.2%
2024 101 15.8%
2023 142 19.7%
2022 72 65.3%
2021 127 49.6%
2020 1 0.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman's asylum grant rate?

Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman granted asylum in 11.3% of 1,958 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.

Does Judge Jonathan W. Hitesman grant asylum more or less often than other judges?

The rate (11.3%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Sacramento, CA grants 45.3%. 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.

Other judges at this court