The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 2.3% historical asylum grant rate for Joseph T. Leonard at Harlingen, TX, based on 161 grants and 6,760 denials (6,921 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Joseph T. Leonard with Harlingen, TX. With an asylum approval rate of 2.3%, 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
DATAAsylumTracker Data
Judge Leonard (Harlingen, TX) data snapshot: 7,649 cases over 40 years, 2.4% grant rate
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Leonard, Joseph T. (IJ code JTL, Harlingen, TX):
Overall track record
40 years on the bench (since 1987), 7,649 cases total, lifetime grant rate 2.4%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 4,263 cases, grant rate 2.3% — roughly in line with the Harlingen court average (1.8%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Mexico 1149 4.3%
Honduras 1082 0.2%
Guatemala 451 0.0%
Nicaragua 350 0.9%
El Salvador 294 0.4%
Cuba 277 12.5%
Venezuela 166 4.8%
Ecuador 142 0.0%
Colombia 118 0.0%
Dominican Republic 51 0.0%
Peru 35 0.0%
Year-by-year
2023: 1437 cases, 2.1% grant rate
2024: 1151 cases, 1.6% grant rate
2025: 1049 cases, 3.0% grant rate
2026: 626 cases, 2.7% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Leonard, 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, July 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
Joseph T. Leonard is listed with the Harlingen, TX Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 2.3% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Honduras (1,544 decided, 0.1% grant rate), Mexico (1,193 decided, 4.9% grant rate), and Guatemala (636 decided, 0.2% 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 Joseph T. Leonard's asylum grant rate?
Judge Joseph T. Leonard granted asylum in 2.3% of 6,921 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Joseph T. Leonard grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (2.3%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Harlingen, TX grants 2.0%. 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.
