Courts / Fifth Circuit
Southern District of Texas
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 57 of the group's written decisions, from 54 cases; the newest of them was decided October 22, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.
57written decisions
54cases they come from
5decisions weigh the TRAC factors
33.9median months from the application to the suit
Each case counts once in these outcome counts, by its latest decision here: the 3 other orders in those cases are listed with their case, not counted again. 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
33.9 months at the median; half fall between 25.1 and 82.3. 15 cases state it.
3 of these are section 1447(b) naturalization suits, whose months run from the application; the statute's 120 days run from the interview, which these figures do not measure.
Months from the application to the court's decision
34.2 months at the median; half fall between 18.3 and 55.6. 34 decisions state it.
Leaves out the 11 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 application22
- Finish 221(g) processing8
- Decide the asylum application8
- Naturalization hearing or remand (1447(b))3
- Issue a work permit2
- Some other action4
- Not recorded7
Form or filing, by case
- 221(g) (consular refusal)9
- I-485 (adjustment of status)9
- I-589 (asylum)9
- I-918 (U visa)6
- DS-260 (immigrant visa)5
- I-765 (EAD)5
- N-400 (naturalization)5
- DS-160 (nonimmigrant visa)4
- I-130 (relative petition)4
- I-360 (special immigrant petition)3
- I-129 (worker petition)2
- I-140 (immigrant worker petition)2
Decisions by year
Download these 57 decisions as a spreadsheet (CSV).
Examples
The newest case with each of the most common dispositions, by its latest decision.
S.D. Tex., October 22, 2026. Dismissed; prevailing party: government.
S.D. Tex., September 28, 2026. Dismissed as moot; prevailing party: neither side.
S.D. Tex., October 9, 2026. Magistrate judge's recommendation; prevailing party: neither side.
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.
1,436suits in the docket record
1,330have ended
106still pending
113median 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.984
- 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.195
- Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.58
- Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.52
- TransferredMoved to another district court.22
- Remanded to the agencySent back to the agency, usually a naturalization case under section 1447(b).14
- Judgment for the plaintiffA consent, default or other judgment for the plaintiff.5
Days from the suit's filing to its end
113 days at the median; half fall between 68 and 193.8. 1,330 dockets state it.
Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted
102 days at the median; half fall between 66 and 165. 984 dockets state it.
84 of these suits have a written decision in the group.
Download the 1,436 suits in the docket record as a spreadsheet (CSV).