Judges / Northern District of California
William Horsley Orrick III
Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group that Judge William Horsley Orrick III signed, every one listed below, and the agency-delay suits that name the judge.
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.
Read these counts as a record of past decisions, not a rate at which this judge rules for either side and not a prediction. Each decision turned on its own facts, its posture and what the parties asked for; the suits that reach a written decision are the contested minority. Read the decisions before drawing anything from them.
How the decisions came out
This page counts 5 of the group's written decisions, from 5 cases; the newest of them was decided December 30, 2025. The line at the top counts the whole group.
5written decisions
5cases they come from
3decisions 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.
Months from the application to the suit
Fewer than five cases state it (3); no distribution is shown.
Months from the application to the court's decision
Fewer than five decisions state it (3); no distribution is shown.
Leaves out the 1 decision holding that the agency had acted: its months to the decision are not a delay.
What the suits asked for, by case
- Decide the asylum application4
- Some other action1
Decisions by year
TRAC rulings
Decisions in which the judge weighed the TRAC factors, newest first, with how the judge found each factor. Factors the decision did not reach are left blank.
| Decision | Decided | 1. Rule of reason | 2. Congressional timetable | 3. Human health and welfare | 4. Competing priorities | 5. Interests prejudiced | 6. No impropriety needed | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abudula v. Noem | October 6, 2025 | favors the government | neutral | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | neutral | Granted in the government's favor |
| Liu v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) | August 25, 2025 | favors the government | neutral | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | neutral | Dismissed |
| Kullab v. United States Department of Homeland Security | March 25, 2025 | favors the government | neutral | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | neutral | Granted in the government's favor |
Every decision, by case
All 5 of the judge's decisions in the group, in 5 cases, newest first. Each case's latest decision comes first and is the one the counts above count; the case's other orders follow it. Download every decision as a spreadsheet (CSV).
| Decision | Decided | Agency | Form | Disposition | Prevailing party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doe v. United States of America | December 30, 2025 | USCIS | I-589 | Dismissed | Government |
| Abudula v. Noem | October 6, 2025 | USCIS | I-589 | Granted in the government's favor | Government |
| Liu v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) | August 25, 2025 | USCIS | I-589 | Dismissed | Government |
| Kullab v. United States Department of Homeland Security | March 25, 2025 | USCIS | I-589 | Granted in the government's favor | Government |
| City of S.F. v. Sessions | March 4, 2019 | Department of Justice | Granted in the applicant's favor | Applicant |
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, among the dockets that name this judge. Check a delay counts fewer: a court's suits of the last three years against the form's agency.
28suits in the docket record
25have ended
3still pending
168median 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.19
- Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.3
- Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.2
- TransferredMoved to another district court.1
Days from the suit's filing to its end
168 days at the median; half fall between 98 and 243. 25 dockets state it.
Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted
161 days at the median; half fall between 92.5 and 239. 19 dockets state it.
8 of these suits have a written decision in the group.