A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge O'Brien, Patrick S. (IJ code PSO, San Francisco, CA):
Overall track record
21 years on the bench (since 2006), 4,283 cases total, lifetime grant rate 17.9%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 2,435 cases, grant rate 16.6% — 22.0pp below the San Francisco court average (38.6%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate Colombia 446 2.3% Guatemala 433 13.2% Mexico 404 9.1% India 210 40.1% Honduras 175 11.2% Nicaragua 149 24.2% El Salvador 135 10.3% Peru 110 9.5% Venezuela 77 2.6% China 49 19.6% Eritrea 41 75.0%
Eritrea applicants see a 75.0% grant rate versus 2.3% for Colombia applicants — a 32.7× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2023: 536 cases, 25.5% grant rate 2024: 588 cases, 22.1% grant rate 2025: 885 cases, 13.9% grant rate 2026: 426 cases, 2.3% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge O'Brien, 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.