Courts / Eighth Circuit
Northern District of Iowa
Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group from this court, and the agency-delay suits filed there.
2,914 written decisions from 2,661 cases in the whole mandamus and agency-delay group, the group's newest decided October 30, 2026. Updated November 3, 2026 at 1:24 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 1,606 public decisions since January 1, 2025 that a CourtListener and GovInfo search for mandamus and agency delay finds, Passim holds 1,371 (85%), measured November 3, 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 11 of the group's written decisions, from 11 cases; the newest of them was decided July 24, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.
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.
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
Fewer than five decisions state it (2); no distribution is shown.
Leaves out the 2 decisions holding that the agency had acted: their months to the decision are not a delay.
What the suits asked for, by case
- Decide the application3
- Issue a work permit1
- Some other action7
Decisions by year
Download these 11 decisions as a spreadsheet (CSV).
Examples
The newest case with each of the most common dispositions, by its latest decision.
N.D. Iowa, July 24, 2026. Dismissed; prevailing party: government.
N.D. Iowa, July 7, 2025. Dismissed as moot; prevailing party: neither side.
N.D. Iowa, May 4, 2026. Dismissed; 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 any immigration agency, whatever year it was filed. Check a delay counts fewer: a court's suits of the last three years against the form's agency.
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.14
- Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.8
- Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.1
Days from the suit's filing to its end
115 days at the median; half fall between 79 and 139. 23 dockets state it.
Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted
97 days at the median; half fall between 54.8 and 124.8. 14 dockets state it.
11 of these suits have a written decision in the group.
Download the 24 suits in the docket record as a spreadsheet (CSV).