Judges / Southern District of New York

Laura Taylor Swain

Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group that Judge Laura Taylor Swain 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 10 of the group's written decisions, from 10 cases; the newest of them was decided October 7, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.

10written decisions
10cases they come from
0decisions 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.

Disposition, by case

  • Denied (either side's motion)1
  • Dismissed6
  • Transferred to another court3

Prevailing party, by case

  • Government7
  • Neither side3

Months from the application to the suit

Fewer than five cases state it (0); no distribution is shown.

Months from the application to the court's decision

Fewer than five decisions state it (2); no distribution is shown.

What the suits asked for, by case

  • Decide the application2
  • Some other action5
  • Not recorded3

Agency, by case

  • USCIS4
  • Not recorded3
  • Department of State2
  • EOIR1

Form or filing, by case

  • I-130 (relative petition)2
  • I-485 (adjustment of status)1
  • I-730 (refugee or asylee relative petition)1

Decisions by year

TRAC rulings

None of the judge's decisions in the group weighs the TRAC factors.

Every decision, by case

All 10 of the judge's decisions in the group, in 10 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).

DecisionDecidedAgencyFormDispositionPrevailing party
Abdrabbo v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services October 7, 2026 Not recorded Dismissed Government
Wang v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services September 17, 2026 Not recorded Dismissed Government
Sreedhar v. University of Florida April 29, 2025 USCIS Dismissed Government
Elleby v. Blinken November 6, 2024 Department of State Dismissed Government
Laryea v. Guillod April 29, 2024 EOIR I-485 Dismissed Government
Pierre v. Consulate General of Haiti May 22, 2023 Not recorded Dismissed Government
Makinano v. Jaddou December 1, 2021 USCIS I-130 Transferred to another court Neither side
Yang v. Jaddou October 14, 2021 USCIS I-730 Transferred to another court Neither side
Torres Puello v. United States of America July 26, 2021 Department of State Denied in the government's favor Government
Lin v. Renaud May 19, 2021 USCIS I-130 Transferred to another court 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, 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.

14suits in the docket record
13have ended
1still pending
11median days from the suit's filing to its end

How the ended suits ended

  • Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.5
  • 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.3
  • 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.2
  • Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.2
  • TransferredMoved to another district court.1

The record gives no reason for 38% of the suits that ended.

Days from the suit's filing to its end

11 days at the median; half fall between 7 and 41. 13 dockets state it.

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

Fewer than five dockets state it (2); no distribution is shown.

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