Judge Forrest W. Hoover, III

A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Hoover, Forrest W., III (IJ code FHR, Philadelphia, PA):

Overall track record

20 years on the bench (since 2007), 5,839 cases total, lifetime grant rate 8.5%

Last 3 years (2023–2026): 4,888 cases, grant rate 5.7% — 3.4pp below the Philadelphia court average (9.1%)

Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)

Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Guatemala              886    1.1%
Brazil                 797    0.6%
Honduras               458    3.5%
Mexico                 420   13.7%
Dominican Republic     334    2.2%
Ecuador                273    1.9%
Colombia               166    2.0%
Haiti                  158    0.7%
Venezuela              158    5.2%
Nicaragua              139    2.2%
Turkiye                127    2.5%

Mexico applicants see a 13.7% grant rate versus 0.6% for Brazil applicants — a 24.3× gap on this judge's docket.

Year-by-year

2023:  963 cases, 9.2% grant rate
2024:  818 cases, 10.3% grant rate
2025: 1546 cases, 4.6% grant rate
2026: 1561 cases, 2.2% grant rate

If you've appeared before Judge Hoover, 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.