Rachel A. Ruane
Immigration Judge, Los Angeles-North Los Angeles St. Immigration Court. Appointed December 2010 by Eric Holder.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 211
- Asylum granted
- 20
- Other relief granted
- 43
- Denied
- 148
- Against own court
- +4.7 pts
| FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|
| 46% | 85% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 82% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: Guatemala (18.5%), China (15.2%), Colombia (11.8%), Mexico (11.4%), El Salvador (6.2%).
Official biography
Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Ruane in December 2010. Judge Ruane received a bachelor of arts degree in 1997 from Wesleyan University and a juris doctorate in 2001 from Emory University School of Law. From 2003 to December 2010, she served the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Chief Counsel in Los Angeles, Calif., in various roles: from 2008 to December 2010, as deputy chief counsel, from 2007 to 2008, as a senior attorney, and from 2003 to 2007, as assistant chief counsel. From 2002 to 2003, Judge Ruane was an attorney advisor for the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Los Angeles, Calif. From 2001 to 2002, she worked as a judicial law clerk for EOIR in Boston. Judge Ruane is a member of the State Bar of Massachusetts.
In the record
In Immigration Court, Christians Show Up to Fill the Back Benches
Christianity Today's account of church volunteers observing Los Angeles immigration court describes Judge Rachel A. Ruane working from a standing desk and calling up several immigrants at a time, a practice reflecting immigration judges' high caseloads, while suspected ICE agents waited outside.
Game of 'Refugee Roulette' in Immigration Courts
Truthdig's examination of asylum disparities cites TRAC figures showing Judge Rachel A. Ruane denied 92.6% of the asylum cases before her, one of the highest denial rates among Los Angeles immigration judges.
Other judges at Los Angeles - North
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.