A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Mcdermott, William (IJ code WMD, Philadelphia, PA):
Overall track record
8 years on the bench (since 2019), 2,252 cases total, lifetime grant rate 29.4%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 1,720 cases, grant rate 23.6% — 14.5pp above the Philadelphia court average (9.1%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate Dominican Republic 219 1.9% Guatemala 179 6.1% Mexico 167 20.1% China 133 70.7% Honduras 97 24.4% India 78 57.9% Brazil 74 6.8% Ecuador 69 11.6% El Salvador 62 40.7% Colombia 61 1.7% Jamaica 44 9.8%
China applicants see a 70.7% grant rate versus 1.7% for Colombia applicants — a 42.4× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2023: 563 cases, 48.9% grant rate 2024: 267 cases, 19.8% grant rate 2025: 353 cases, 10.6% grant rate 2026: 537 cases, 4.4% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Mcdermott, 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.