Asylum Tracker — US asylum statistics from public EOIR, USCIS and ICE data
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Seattle (SEA): Asylum Statistics

3,068 asylum merits decisions; 6.9% granted (2025-09 to 2026-08). Statistics describe past decisions, not individual outcomes. Not legal advice.

How we estimate

EOIR grant rate means grants divided by grants plus denials for asylum merits decisions, excluding other closures. Rates require at least 2 decisions; rankings require at least 30. Proceedings history can extend to 1951; the first recorded asylum merits month in this import is Dec 1972. Each dataset states its own coverage. Do not interpret proceedings coverage as asylum decision coverage. Reconstructed pending counts may differ from agency totals. Historical judge-code attribution is not verified personal tenure.

Key facts

Seattle has 3,068 recorded asylum merits decisions in 2025-09 to 2026-08.

The merits grant rate is 6.9%: grants divided by grants plus denials.

Statistics describe past decisions, not individual outcomes. Not legal advice.

Metric
Asylum merits grant rate
Value
6.9%
Sample size
3,068
Period
2025-09 to 2026-08
Source
EOIR FOIA case data
Last updated
Oct 4, 2026
Data through: Aug 2026Source published: Sep 1, 2026Source updated: Sep 1, 2026Imported: Oct 4, 2026 Source: EOIR FOIA case data Methodology and limitations Public API

Cite this page: Seattle (SEA): Asylum Statistics. https://asylumstats.com/courts/seattle-sea. Data through Aug 2026; source published Sep 1, 2026; imported Oct 4, 2026. Include your access date when citing.

Totals and breakdowns use the canonical page period. Court and nationality trend tables include all available decision history; other trend tables use their labeled periods. All tables apply the display floor. Interactive filters can select a different period. Empty buckets and cells below the floor have no reported rate.
Decision trend
GroupGrantsDenialsMerits decisionsAsylum merits grant rate
1980 1 3 4 25.0%
1981 0 1 1 Too few decisions to report a rate (minimum 2).
1982 0 0 0 Too few decisions to report a rate (minimum 2).
1983 0 0 0 Too few decisions to report a rate (minimum 2).
1984 0 2 2 0.0%
1985 1 6 7 14.3%
1986 5 80 85 5.9%
1987 2 55 57 3.5%
1988 8 52 60 13.3%
1989 8 82 90 8.9%
1990 13 102 115 11.3%
1991 20 86 106 18.9%
1992 6 95 101 5.9%
1993 10 63 73 13.7%
1994 10 67 77 13.0%
1995 10 116 126 7.9%
1996 48 191 239 20.1%
1997 30 174 204 14.7%
1998 65 166 231 28.1%
1999 45 128 173 26.0%
2000 53 145 198 26.8%
2001 55 137 192 28.6%
2002 61 209 270 22.6%
2003 65 177 242 26.9%
2004 80 183 263 30.4%
2005 116 163 279 41.6%
2006 158 253 411 38.4%
2007 213 343 556 38.3%
2008 219 380 599 36.6%
2009 175 219 394 44.4%
2010 232 307 539 43.0%
2011 267 427 694 38.5%
2012 222 289 511 43.4%
2013 164 213 377 43.5%
2014 149 253 402 37.1%
2015 193 246 439 44.0%
2016 271 560 831 32.6%
2017 253 501 754 33.6%
2018 261 586 847 30.8%
2019 230 805 1,035 22.2%
2020 92 353 445 20.7%
2021 344 700 1,044 33.0%
2022 575 1,634 2,209 26.0%
2023 682 1,462 2,144 31.8%
2024 775 1,737 2,512 30.8%
2025 443 2,140 2,583 17.2%
2026 138 2,294 2,432 5.7%
Representation breakdown
GroupGrantsDenialsMerits decisionsAsylum merits grant rate
Represented 189 1,790 1,979 9.6%
Not represented 24 1,065 1,089 2.2%
Custody breakdown
GroupGrantsDenialsMerits decisionsAsylum merits grant rate
Never detained 194 2,678 2,872 6.8%
Released 12 102 114 10.5%
Detained 7 75 82 8.5%
Hearing calendar snapshot

Recorded next hearings have a median of May 2027 and a 90th percentile of Aug 2029, among 42,792 proceedings with future hearings in the Aug 2026 snapshot. Scheduled dates can change; this is not a measure of elapsed waiting time.

Median recorded next hearing
2027-05
90th percentile recorded next hearing
2029-08
Proceedings with a recorded future hearing
42792
Judges with decisions at this court
Leading nationalities by decisions

Guides

Frequently asked questions

What is the asylum grant rate for Seattle?

3,068 asylum merits decisions; 6.9% granted (2025-09 to 2026-08). Rates reflect the period and sample on this page. Statistics describe past decisions, not individual outcomes. Not legal advice.

How many proceedings are pending at Seattle?

The snapshot records 44,256 pending proceedings as of Aug 2026. Pending counts are reconstructed from recorded proceeding dates and can differ from EOIR’s published totals. They do not measure the number of people or guarantee a hearing date.

What is the average wait time for an immigration hearing?

Recorded next hearings have a median of May 2027 and a 90th percentile of Aug 2029, among 42,792 proceedings with future hearings in the Aug 2026 snapshot. Scheduled dates can change; this is not a measure of elapsed waiting time. Backlog divided by recent monthly completions is a workload ratio, not a predicted hearing date. Check your own notice or official EOIR case information.

Where is Seattle?

915 2ND AVENUE, SUITE 613 Map coordinates are approximate city locations; verify the location and hearing details with EOIR and your notice.

Which judges have recorded decisions at Seattle?

Johnson, Shane E.; Tisocco, Michael; Sogabe, Kenneth. See the linked judge profiles for decision counts and reporting periods. Placeholder dockets are excluded; historical recorded courts are not proof of a current assignment.

How can I check my immigration court case?

Use EOIR Automated Case Information for court case details and rely on official notices. Use USCIS Case Status Online for USCIS receipt numbers. These aggregate statistics do not look up individual cases.

What happens in a master calendar hearing?

A master calendar hearing handles procedural matters, pleadings and scheduling. It is different from the individual merits hearing. Consult EOIR’s Immigration Court Practice Manual and your hearing notice for official instructions.