Judge Ellen Karesh
Immigration Judge at Richmond, VA
Snapshot answerThe 2026-07-01 snapshot lists a 5.7% historical asylum grant rate for Ellen Karesh at Richmond, VA, based on 112 grants and 1,862 denials (1,974 decided outcomes).
The 2026-07-01 EOIR snapshot lists Ellen Karesh with Richmond, VA. With an asylum approval rate of 5.7%, 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.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Ellen Karesh is listed with the Richmond, VA Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 5.7% 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 (457 decided, 2.6% grant rate), Honduras (306 decided, 4.9% grant rate), and Guatemala (220 decided, 4.5% 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 Other procedural outcomes, including terminated, withdrawn, administratively closed, or removed cases, are tracked separately where available and are not treated as asylum grants.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 2026-07-01. 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
| Nationality | Cases | Grant rate |
| Mexico |
457 |
2.6% |
| Honduras |
306 |
4.9% |
| Guatemala |
220 |
4.5% |
| Venezuela |
176 |
4.0% |
| Colombia |
113 |
1.8% |
| Nicaragua |
112 |
1.8% |
| El Salvador |
90 |
6.7% |
| Brazil |
89 |
1.1% |
Yearly Trends
| Year | Cases | Grant rate |
| 2026 |
1,013 |
0.9% |
| 2025 |
363 |
6.3% |
| 2024 |
122 |
14.8% |
| 2023 |
165 |
24.2% |
| 2022 |
311 |
7.1% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Judge Ellen Karesh's asylum approval rate?
Judge Ellen Karesh's asylum approval rate is 5.7% according to EOIR FOIA data.
How many asylum cases has Judge Ellen Karesh decided?
The dataset lists 1,974 total asylum cases for Judge Ellen Karesh.
How is this approval rate calculated?
The approval rate is calculated as granted divided by (granted + denied). It excludes terminations and withdrawals, and the source is EOIR FOIA data.
Other judges at this court
Palmer, Brian T.
13.9% approval rate
Napier, Wade Thomas
18.1% approval rate
Mannion, Steve
7.0% approval rate
Kassell, Joseph
7.7% approval rate
Piateski, Jennifer E.
12.9% approval rate
Santiago, Luisa
10.1% approval rate
Rainey, Zol
6.1% approval rate
Purnell, Charles N.
3.9% approval rate
Jostad, Brent
9.2% approval rate
Graulich, James C.
9.6% approval rate