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

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

Immigration judges

Chadwick Dotson

Immigration Judge, Charlotte Immigration Court. Appointed March 2026.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Dotson86.0%
Charlotte court86.7%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
107
Asylum granted
15
Other relief granted
0
Denied
92
Against own court
-0.7 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY26
86%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 94% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Honduras (16.8%), Mexico (9.3%), Senegal (9.3%), Venezuela (9.3%), Brazil (8.4%).

Official biography

Chad Dotson was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in March 2026. Judge Dotson ear ned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor in 1999 from Georgetown University Law Center. From September 2023 to January 2026, he served as the director of the Virginia Department of Corrections. From January 2022 to September 2023, he served as chairman of the Virginia Parole Board. From July 2011 to August 2020, he served as a Circuit Court judge in Virginia's 30th Judicial Circuit. From February 2007 to June 2011, he served as a General District Court judge in Virginia's 30th Judicial District. From January 2004 to February 2007, he served as the elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Wise County and the City of Norton, Virginia, during which time he was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia. Judge Dotson 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 Charlotte

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.