Monte J. Horton

Immigration Judge, Cleveland Immigration Court. Appointed March 2019 by Matthew Whitaker.

StrictDenies more often than the national average+9.6 points

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

Judge Horton72.5%

Cleveland court79.2%

All judges nationally62.9%

Decisions on the merits: 465
Asylum granted: 82
Other relief granted: 46
Denied: 337
Against own court: -6.7 pts

Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25	FY26
91%	55%	67%	64%	69%	83%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 87% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Guatemala (16.1%), Honduras (15.7%), Mexico (8.8%), Brazil (7.7%), Nicaragua (7.1%).

Official biography

Then-Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker appointed Monte J. Horton to begin hearingcases in March 2019. Judge Horton ear ned a Bachelor of Science in 1988 from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit Collegeof Law. From 1992 to 1993, he provided legal services to victims of domestic violence at Someplace Safe in Warren, Ohio. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a public defender and private practice attorney in Trumbull County, Ohio. From 1996 to 2001, he worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Trumbull County serving as chief of the Juvenile and Fraud Divisions. From 2001 to 2019, he was a juvenile and domestic relations magistrate in Trumbull County. Judge Horton is a member of the Ohio 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 Cleveland

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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.