Clarence M. Wagner Jr.
Immigration Judge, Honolulu Immigration Court. Appointed October 2010 by Eric Holder.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 330
- Asylum granted
- 219
- Other relief granted
- 7
- Denied
- 104
- Against own court
- -9.0 pts
| FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46% | 29% | 26% | 27% | 27% | 41% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 91% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: China (62.4%), Russia (5.2%), Guatemala (3.6%), Mexico (3.3%), Honduras (3%).
Official biography
Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Wagner in October 2010. Judge Wagner received a bachelor of science degree in 1993 from Hampton University, a juris doctorate in 1997 from Southern University Law Center and a master of law degree in 1999 from Georgetown University Law Center. From 2003 to October 2010, he served with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, in various capacities, including chief counsel, Honolulu, Hawaii, from 2008 to 2010, deputy chief counsel, New Orleans, La., from 2006 to 2010, and assistant chief counsel, San Antonio, Texas, from 2003 to 2006. From 2002 to 2003, Judge Wagner served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Louisiana, Department of Justice, Baton Rouge. From February 2002 to June 2002, he served as senior attorney, Legal Affairs Division, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. From 1998 to 2001, Judge Wagner served as an officer in the U.S. Army, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Honolulu, Hawaii. In that capacity, he was the labor and employment attorney from 1998 to 2000 and the environmental law attorney from 2000 to 2001. He was also appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney, Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Hawaii, from 1998 to 2000. Judge Wagner is a member of the Louisiana State Bar and the State Bar of Texas.
In the record
You're Fired! Trump-Style Termination of Exemplary Hawai'i Judge Leaves Questions
Reports that Honolulu Immigration Judge Clarence M. Wagner Jr. was abruptly terminated by a three-sentence email on May 21, 2026 on the Acting Attorney General's authority, after 16 years as an immigration judge and a recent performance review rating him a high performer; his asylum denial rate was 34.7% versus a 58.9% national average.
Executive Office for Immigration Review Announces Six New Assistant Chief Immigration Judges
Official DOJ press release stating Clarence M. Wagner Jr. was appointed assistant chief immigration judge in December 2015, after serving as an immigration judge at the Honolulu Immigration Court since October 2010 and previously as ICE chief counsel in Honolulu.
Other judges at Honolulu
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.