The Philadelphia, PA court approved 43.2% of decisions at final hearings over 5 years — 5,310 such decisions in total. National average: 34.9%.
The median time from the start of a case to the decision in this court is 30 mo.: half of the cases are decided faster, half take longer.
Over 5 years, 36 judges decided cases in this court. The highest approval rate: Steven A. Morley (87.5%); the lowest: Keith Lipiec (5.9%) — among judges with 50 or more decisions at final hearings. All judges of the court and their approval rates are on this page.
At final hearings in this court, applicants with an attorney were approved in 46.0% of decisions, without an attorney — in 7.1%. 92.8% of applicants had an attorney.
In absentia (the person did not come to the hearing), removal was ordered in 52.0% of all cases; without a merits hearing (pretermission), 0.8% were denied. These cases are not part of the approval rate.
This is EOIR data (Executive Office for Immigration Review, US Department of Justice) released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as of September 30, 2026. How the figures are calculated — see “How we calculate”.
Asylum and other protection-from-removal approval rate at final hearings at the Philadelphia, PA immigration court over 5 years: 43.2%, with 5,310 such decisions. National average: 34.9%. Share of applicants with an attorney: 92.8%.
