New York · est. 2013Friday, September 4, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Immigration judges

Anita McFadden

Immigration Judge, Santa Ana Immigration Court. Appointed December 2021.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge McFadden76.4%
Santa Ana court76.5%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
664
Asylum granted
128
Other relief granted
29
Denied
507
Against own court
-0.1 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY23FY24FY25FY26
39%54%73%94%

Read from TRAC's chart to the nearest point. Years with fewer than 25 decisions are not shown.

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 96% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Mexico (18.1%), Colombia (15.4%), Nicaragua (14.6%), Guatemala (9.6%), India (6%).

Official biography

Anita Van McFadden was appointed as an Immigration Judge to begin hearing cases in December 2021. Judge McFadden ear ned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from the University of New Mexico, and Juris Doctor in 1993 from Georgetown University Law Center. From 2005 to 2021, she was in private practice with The McFadden Law Office PLLC. From 2000 to 2004, she was Staff Counsel with Allstate Insurance Company. From 2004 to 2005, and from 1999 to 2000, she was an Associate Attorney with general civil litigation law firms. From 1994 to 1999, she served as an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, City of Richmond. Judge McFadden is a member of the Virginia State Bar.

As published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review at appointment, via TRAC.

In the record

No published reporting or appellate decisions naming this judge have been collected yet.

Other judges at Santa Ana

Court page →

About these figures. Denial rates describe outcomes in the cases a judge happened to hear, which differ by detention, nationality and representation. They are not a measure of fairness or competence. Method and sources are on the judges index.