Catherine E. Halliday-Roberts
Immigration Judge, San Diego Immigration Court. Appointed July 2017 by Jeff Sessions.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 200
- Asylum granted
- 64
- Other relief granted
- 35
- Denied
- 101
- Against own court
- -4.1 pts
| FY22 | FY23 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18% | 28% | 69% | 97% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 87% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: Guatemala (14.5%), Mexico (14%), Russia (11%), Colombia (8.5%), Nicaragua (6.5%).
Official biography
Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Catherine E. Halliday-Roberts to begin hearing cases in July 2017. Judge Halliday-Roberts earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1998 from the University of Dayton and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the Valparaiso University School of Law. From 2008 to 2017, she served as a deputy chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in San Diego, Calif. From 2003 to 2008, she served as an assistant chief counsel for the Office of Chief Counsel, ICE, DHS, in Los Angeles and Lancaster, Calif. From 2002 to 2003, she served as an assistant district counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, entering on duty through the Attorney General's Honors Program. Since 2002, she has been an associate professor at Santa Monica College. Judge Halliday-Roberts is a member of the California State Bar.
In the record
Office of the Chief Immigration Judge
Official EOIR page states Catherine E. Halliday-Roberts was appointed as an Acting Assistant Chief Immigration Judge in January 2026, after serving as an Immigration Judge at the San Diego Immigration Court from July 2017 to December 2025; she now oversees the San Diego and Otay Mesa courts with backup assignments to Honolulu, Santa Ana, and Saipan.
Executive Office for Immigration Review Swears in 11 Immigration Judges
Official DOJ press release states Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Catherine E. Halliday-Roberts as an Immigration Judge at the Otay Mesa Immigration Court to begin hearing cases in July 2017, after nine years as a deputy chief counsel and assistant chief counsel for ICE in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Other judges at San Diego
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.