James Emanuel Boasberg
Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group that Judge James Emanuel Boasberg 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 33 of the group's written decisions, from 31 cases; the newest of them was decided September 22, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.
33written decisions
31cases they come from
19decisions weigh the TRAC factors
11.1median months from the application to the suit
Each case counts once in these outcome counts, by its latest decision here: the 2 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
11.1 months at the median; half fall between 9.3 and 30.8. 9 cases state it.
Months from the application to the court's decision
27.1 months at the median; half fall between 17 and 34.8. 22 decisions state it.
Leaves out the 5 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 application9
- Schedule an interview3
- Finish 221(g) processing10
- Some other action7
- Not recorded2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawfare Institute v. United States Department of State | August 31, 2026 | favors the applicant | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed in part; some claims go on | |||
| MOMENI v. RUBIO | August 14, 2026 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | favors the government | neutral | Dismissed |
| ADAN v. BURNS | August 13, 2026 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| DIB v. SHEA | June 2, 2026 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Thankam v. Gaudiosi | February 25, 2025 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Sheikhbahaei v. United States Department of State | October 15, 2024 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Asim v. Blinken | July 8, 2024 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Da Fonseca v. Emmel | February 9, 2024 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Rashidi v. United States Department of State | October 4, 2023 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Khazaei v. Blinken | September 18, 2023 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Augustin v. Blinken | July 14, 2023 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Rahman v. Blinken | January 17, 2023 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Khan v. Blome | November 29, 2022 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Sawahreh v. United States Department of State | September 21, 2022 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| Khan v. Blinken | November 17, 2021 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| Schwartz v. United States Department of Homeland Security | September 10, 2021 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
| MILLIGAN v. POMPEO | September 2, 2021 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Dismissed |
| MILLIGAN v. POMPEO | November 19, 2020 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | Granted in part |
| Zandieh v. Pompeo | July 29, 2020 | favors the government | favors the government | favors the applicant | favors the government | favors the applicant | neutral | Dismissed |
Every decision, by case
All 33 of the judge's decisions in the group, in 31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOMENI v. RUBIO and 1 other order in this case, below | September 22, 2026 | Department of State | DS-160 | Denied in the government's favor | Government |
| Other order in this case MOMENI v. RUBIO | August 14, 2026 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Lawfare Institute v. United States Department of State | August 31, 2026 | Department of State | Dismissed in part; some claims go on | Each side in part | |
| ADAN v. BURNS | August 13, 2026 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| DIB v. SHEA | June 2, 2026 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Al-Shakliah v. Rubio | May 11, 2026 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160, DS-260 | Dismissed in part; some claims go on | Each side in part |
| Pour v. Rubio | August 14, 2025 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Thankam v. Gaudiosi | February 25, 2025 | Department of State | DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Sheikhbahaei v. United States Department of State | October 15, 2024 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Asim v. Blinken | July 8, 2024 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Da Fonseca v. Emmel | February 9, 2024 | USCIS | I-526 | Dismissed | Government |
| Rashidi v. United States Department of State | October 4, 2023 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Khazaei v. Blinken | September 18, 2023 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Augustin v. Blinken | July 14, 2023 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Rahman v. Blinken | January 17, 2023 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Khan v. Blome | November 29, 2022 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Sawahreh v. United States Department of State | September 21, 2022 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Khan v. Blinken | November 17, 2021 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Schwartz v. United States Department of Homeland Security | September 10, 2021 | Department of State | DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| MILLIGAN v. POMPEO and 1 other order in this case, below | September 2, 2021 | Department of State | DS-160 | Dismissed | Government |
| Other order in this case MILLIGAN v. POMPEO | November 19, 2020 | Department of State | DS-160 | Granted in part | Each side in part |
| Villatoro Claros v. Cowan | May 6, 2021 | USCIS | I-730 | Transferred to another court | Neither side |
| O.M.G. v. WOLF | December 10, 2020 | ICE | Dismissed in part; some claims go on | Each side in part | |
| Zandieh v. Pompeo | July 29, 2020 | Department of State | 221(g), DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Karakenyan v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | June 22, 2020 | USCIS | I-526 | Dismissed | Government |
| Statewide Bonding, Inc v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security | May 10, 2019 | ICE | Dismissed | Government | |
| Chaverra v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement | October 2, 2018 | ICE | Dismissed | Government | |
| Lu v. Tillerson | February 15, 2018 | Department of State | DS-260 | Dismissed | Government |
| Aishat v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security | February 12, 2018 | USCIS | N-336 | Granted in the government's favor | Government |
| Graves v. Uscis | June 12, 2017 | USCIS | I-130 | Dismissed as moot | Neither side |
| Garcia v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | March 2, 2016 | USCIS | I-485A | Dismissed | Government |
| Turner v. Napolitano | December 17, 2013 | USCIS | Dismissed | Government | |
| In Re: Mark J. Watson | December 19, 2012 | Department of Labor | Dismissed | 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, 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.
73suits in the docket record
62have ended
11still pending
116median 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.33
- 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.15
- Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.7
- TransferredMoved to another district court.6
- Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.1
Days from the suit's filing to its end
116 days at the median; half fall between 70.8 and 167.2. 62 dockets state it.
Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted
76 days at the median; half fall between 52 and 120. 33 dockets state it.
30 of these suits have a written decision in the group.