Department of Justice
Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group in suits about a delay at this agency, in every court, and the agency-delay suits in the docket record against it.
2,996 written decisions from 2,731 cases in the whole mandamus and agency-delay group, the group's newest decided November 12, 2026. Updated November 14, 2026 at 1:17 a.m. CT; the Passim connector counts the live collection, which can differ by the day's additions and retirements (which total to quote). Coverage: of the 1,617 public decisions since January 1, 2025 that a CourtListener and GovInfo search for mandamus and agency delay finds, Passim holds 1,406 (87%), 1,039 of them in this group, measured November 14, 2026. Some of what that search finds are not mandamus decisions. Tell us about a decision we're missing.
These are counts of past written decisions and dockets, not predictions of how any case will be decided. A distribution appears only when at least 5 decisions (or 5 dockets) are behind it; smaller groups are listed, not summarized. How it's counted.
How the decisions came out
This page counts 36 of the group's written decisions, from 36 cases; the newest of them was decided June 24, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.
36written decisions
36cases they come from
0decisions weigh the TRAC factors
–median months from the application to the suit
Each case counts once in these outcome counts, by its latest decision here. A motion to dismiss denied and a later judgment for the government count as the judgment. How decisions are grouped into cases.
Disposition, by case
Months from the application to the suit
Fewer than five cases state it (2); no distribution is shown.
Months from the application to the court's decision, or to the agency's action where it acted first
24 months at the median; half fall between 20.6 and 30.4. 6 decisions state it.
In 2 of these the agency acted before the decision, so the months run to that action, where the delay ended.
What the suits asked for, by case
- Decide the application5
- Some other action24
- Not recorded7
Decisions by year
- 20262
- 20252
- 20242
- 20233
- 20211
- 20201
- 20192
- 20183
- 20171
- 20151
- 20111
- 20091
- 20081
- 20001
- 19981
- 19974
- 19964
- 19931
- 19921
- 19851
- 19811
- 19721
Download these 36 decisions as a spreadsheet (CSV).
Examples
The newest case with each of the most common dispositions, by its latest decision.
D.D.C., November 7, 2024. Dismissed; prevailing party: government.
D.N.M., January 28, 2021. Granted; prevailing party: applicant.
N.D. Ill., February 10, 1997. Denied; prevailing party: government.
How agency-delay suits ended
Most suits end without a written decision: the agency acts and the parties dismiss. These counts come from the docket record (the federal courts' Integrated Database and CourtListener) and count every mandamus, APA and section 1447(b) suit against this agency, in every court, whatever year it was filed. A suit's agency is the one its written decisions say the delay is at; a suit with no written decision is counted under its lead defendant's agency.
5,686suits in the docket record
5,500have ended
186still pending
76median days from the suit's filing to its end
How the ended suits ended
- Ended once the agency actedThe plaintiff dismissed, the parties stipulated to dismissal, or the court dismissed as moot: how suits end once the agency decides. The docket rarely says why, or whether the agency approved or denied.3,888
- Dismissed, ground not recordedThe court dismissed and the record gives no ground: it can be a dismissal as moot after the agency acted, for want of prosecution, or a loss.774
- Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.311
- Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.240
- Remanded to the agencySent back to the agency, usually a naturalization case under section 1447(b).153
- TransferredMoved to another district court.73
- Judgment for the plaintiffA consent, default or other judgment for the plaintiff.61
Days from the suit's filing to its end
76 days at the median; half fall between 50 and 136. 5,500 dockets state it.
Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted
72 days at the median; half fall between 49 and 125. 3,888 dockets state it.
104 of these suits have a written decision in the group.
These counts are not links: the suit list shows one court's or one filing year's suits at a time. Choose either there, then this agency.