Judges / Western District of Washington

James L. Robart

Written decisions in the mandamus and agency-delay group that Judge James L. Robart 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 9 of the group's written decisions, from 8 cases; the newest of them was decided August 31, 2026. The line at the top counts the whole group.

9written decisions
8cases they come from
2decisions 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: the 1 other order in those cases is 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

  • Granted (either side's motion)1
  • Denied (either side's motion)2
  • Dismissed2
  • Dismissed as moot1
  • Transferred to another court1
  • Sanctions order1

Prevailing party, by case

  • Applicant1
  • Government3
  • Neither side4

Months from the application to the suit

Fewer than five cases state it (4); no distribution is shown.

Months from the application to the court's decision

13.2 months at the median; half fall between 3.6 and 21.7. 5 decisions state it.

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

  • Finish 221(g) processing3
  • Decide the asylum application1
  • Issue a work permit3
  • Not recorded1

Agency, by case

  • Department of State3
  • USCIS3
  • DHS1
  • Not recorded1

Form or filing, by case

  • 221(g) (consular refusal)3
  • I-765 (EAD)3
  • DS-160 (nonimmigrant visa)2
  • DS-260 (immigrant visa)1
  • I-131 (travel document)1
  • I-589 (asylum)1

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.

DecisionDecided1. Rule of reason2. Congressional timetable3. Human health and welfare4. Competing priorities5. Interests prejudiced6. No impropriety neededDisposition
Malik v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services June 15, 2026 favors the governmentfavors the governmentfavors the applicantfavors the governmentfavors the applicantfavors the government Denied in the government's favor
Gonzalez Rosario v. United States Citizenship July 26, 2018 favors the applicantfavors the applicantfavors the applicantfavors the governmentfavors the applicant Granted in the applicant's favor

Every decision, by case

All 9 of the judge's decisions in the group, in 8 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
Zhuang v. Walker August 31, 2026 Department of State 221(g), DS-160 Transferred to another court Neither side
Malik v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services June 15, 2026 USCIS I-131, I-765 Denied in the government's favor Government
Figueira De Aguiar Meneses Borges v. Mullin March 17, 2026 Not recorded Denied, neither side prevailed Neither side
Bloomberg v. Rubio December 8, 2025 Department of State 221(g), DS-260 Dismissed Government
Kiyaroudi v. Blinken May 19, 2025 Department of State 221(g), DS-160 Dismissed Government
Moiseyev v. United States Department of Homeland Security June 26, 2024 DHS I-589 Dismissed as moot Neither side
Rosario v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and 1 other order in this case, below February 14, 2023 USCIS I-765 Sanctions order Neither side
Other order in this case Rosario v. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services September 27, 2022 USCIS I-765 Sanctions order Neither side
Gonzalez Rosario v. United States Citizenship July 26, 2018 USCIS I-765 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.

61suits in the docket record
58have ended
3still pending
127.5median 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.46
  • 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.6
  • Dismissed on jurisdiction or the meritsDismissed for want of jurisdiction or on the TRAC factors, or judgment for the government.2
  • Judgment for the plaintiffA consent, default or other judgment for the plaintiff.2
  • TransferredMoved to another district court.1
  • Ended, outcome not recordedThe record shows the suit ended but not how.1

Days from the suit's filing to its end

127.5 days at the median; half fall between 77.5 and 178.8. 58 dockets state it.

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

116.5 days at the median; half fall between 76 and 178.8. 46 dockets state it.

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