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

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

Immigration judges

John C. Odell

Immigration Judge, Tacoma Immigration Court. Appointed April 2013 by Eric Holder.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Odell74.3%
Tacoma court78.4%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
300
Asylum granted
49
Other relief granted
28
Denied
223
Against own court
-4.1 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
76%52%65%67%87%91%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 69% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Mexico (28%), El Salvador (5.7%), Guatemala (5.3%), Nicaragua (5%), India (4.7%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Odell in April 2013. Judge Odell received a bachelor of science degree in 1983 from the United States Coast Guard Academy and a juris doctorate in 1994 from the Seattle University School of Law. From October 2007 to April 2013, he served as an assistant chief counsel, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in Seattle, Wash., where, from December 2008 to December 2010, he served as a special assistant U.S. attorney. From 1997 to 2007, Judge Odell served in the U.S. Coast Guard where he held various legal positions, including staff judge advocate, 13th Coast Guard District, Seattle, and Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn.; military judge, U.S. Coast Guard; senior defense counsel, Naval Legal Services Office, Bremerton, Wash.; and assistant legal officer, 13th Coast Guard District. Judge Odell is a member of the Washington 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 Tacoma

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.