Judge Luisa Santiago (Sterling, VA) approved 29.6% of decisions at final hearings over 5 years — 348 such decisions in total. National average: 34.9%. Average in this court: 29.2%.
This judge's approval rate is 5.3 pp lower than the national average and about the same as the court average.
At final hearings with this judge, applicants with an attorney were approved in 35.2% of decisions, without an attorney — in 3.3%. 82.5% of applicants had an attorney.
Over 5 years, judge Luisa Santiago completed 1,493 cases. Decisions at the final hearing (approval or denial): 348; the rest are decisions at preliminary hearings, in-absentia removals, denials without a hearing, closed, terminated and other cases.
The median time from the start of a case to the decision with this judge is 28 mo.: half of the cases are decided faster, half take longer.
This judge sets the final (individual) hearing on average (median) 9 mo. after the master hearing; for half of cases, 7 mo. to 13 mo. Court average: 12 mo. Nationwide: 12 mo.
In absentia (the person did not come to the hearing), removal was ordered in 33.2% of all cases; without a merits hearing (pretermission), 0.3% were denied. These cases are not part of the approval rate.
Sterling, VA. Court page lists all judges of this court and their approval rates.
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”.
Santiago, Luisa, immigration judge (Sterling, VA). Asylum and other protection-from-removal approval rate at final hearings over 5 years: 29.6%, with 348 such decisions. National average: 34.9%. Court average: 29.2%. Share of applicants with an attorney: 82.5%.
