Orelia E. Merchant

Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group that Judge Orelia E. Merchant 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 7 of the group's written decisions, from 7 cases; the newest of them was decided September 23, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.

7written decisions

7cases they come from

6decisions weigh the TRAC factors

24median 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

Dismissed7

Prevailing party, by case

Government7

Months from the application to the suit

24 months at the median; half fall between 5.9 and 29.8. 5 cases state it.

Months from the application to the court's decision

40.3 months at the median; half fall between 21.7 and 48.2. 7 decisions state it.

What the suits asked for, by case

Decide the application1
Finish 221(g) processing1
Decide the asylum application4
Not recorded1

Agency, by case

USCIS6
Department of State1

Form or filing, by case

I-589 (asylum)4
221(g) (consular refusal)1
DS-260 (immigrant visa)1
I-130 (relative petition)1
I-140 (immigrant worker petition)1

Decisions by year

20263
20253
20241

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
Ghafar v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	September 23, 2026	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government		Dismissed
Ikechukwu Mbachu v. Kristi Noem	May 25, 2026	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government		Dismissed
S.L. v. United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)	October 17, 2025	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government		Dismissed
Wara v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	August 4, 2025		favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	favors the government	neutral	Dismissed
Fang v. Cioppa	January 23, 2025	favors the government		favors the government	favors the government	favors the government		Dismissed
Sharifi v. Blinken	April 25, 2024	favors the government						Dismissed

Every decision, by case

All 7 of the judge's decisions in the group, in 7 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
Ghafar v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	September 23, 2026	USCIS	I-130	Dismissed	Government
Saiana Dagbazhalsanova v. John M. Allen	June 2, 2026	USCIS	I-140	Dismissed	Government
Ikechukwu Mbachu v. Kristi Noem	May 25, 2026	USCIS	I-589	Dismissed	Government
S.L. v. United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)	October 17, 2025	USCIS	I-589	Dismissed	Government
Wara v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	August 4, 2025	USCIS	I-589	Dismissed	Government
Fang v. Cioppa	January 23, 2025	USCIS	I-589	Dismissed	Government
Sharifi v. Blinken	April 25, 2024	Department of State	221(g), DS-260	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.

50suits in the docket record

50have ended

0still pending

90.5median 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.38
Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.11
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.1

Days from the suit's filing to its end

90.5 days at the median; half fall between 54.8 and 191.8. 50 dockets state it.

Days from the suit's filing to its end, when it ended once the agency acted

66 days at the median; half fall between 42.5 and 105.8. 38 dockets state it.

9 of these suits have a written decision in the group.