Deportation

Federal civil · Immigration · 3,714 cases filed and closed (1988–present).

3,714

Cases filed

82.6%

Ended before a merits judgment

3,068 of 3,714 cases

13%

Plaintiff win

of 646 merits judgments

78.9%

Defendant win

of merits judgments

Most cases never reach a ruling on the merits. Of 3,714 filed, 82.6% closed without one — settled, dismissed, transferred, or remanded. The win rates above describe only the 646 that a judge actually decided.

How they closed

Dismissed63.4%
Defendant win13.7%
Settled11.9%
Transferred4.5%
Plaintiff win2.3%
Remanded2.2%
Decided — other1.3%
Other0.5%
Mixed0.1%
Affirmed0%
Denied0%

Where you file matters

The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.

Read the law behind deportation

Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.