# Denise Hunter

Former Immigration Judge · [Sacramento Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/sacramento-immigration-court)

## Denise Hunter at a glance

Current role

Former Immigration Judge

Court

[Sacramento Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/sacramento-immigration-court)

Jurisdiction

California · Federal

Judicial service

Former

Historical EOIR data

## Outcomes at a glance

Total outcomes

1,695

Relief granted

683 40.3%

Denied / removal ordered

749 44.2%

Other / procedural

263 15.5%

National comparison for this selection: 9,249,024 outcomes; 10.0% relief granted; 52.0% denied / removal ordered; 38.0% other / procedural.

Methodology and sources

These are proceeding outcomes, not asylum application statistics. Completion years use EOIR COMP_DATE; 2026 contains partial-year data. Relief granted, denied / removal ordered and other / procedural exhaust the recorded outcomes. Groups of one are included. Historical outcomes do not establish a current assignment. Counts describe recorded cases and do not predict an individual's result.

[Official EOIR case data](https://fileshare.eoir.justice.gov/EOIR%20Case%20Data.zip) · Source date: Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:14:27 GMT

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge Denise M. Hunter was appointed to the Sacramento Immigration Court in October 2022 but was reported as removed from the bench in December 2025

### Education

- George Washington University Law School — J.D. (2011)
- Wesley–Delaware State University (formerly Wesley College) — B.A. (2006)

### Additional information

- Other EOIR/AsylumTracker data show an overall 47.6% asylum grant rate across 1,434 decided cases through early 2026.
- FY 2021–2026 (first 9 months): 548 asylum cases decided; 82.1% granted (including other relief) and 17.9% denied.
- Prominent immigration judge in Sacramento with a record of granting asylum in the majority of cases during her tenure, but she was removed from the bench in late 2025 amid broader federal changes to the immigration judiciary.
- LGBTQ+ Program Legal Director, California Rural Legal Assistance (2021–2022)
- Senior Staff Attorney – Immigration, Whitman-Walker Health (2017–2021)
- Staff Attorney – Immigration, Whitman-Walker Health (2015–2017)
- Immigration Staff Attorney, Ayuda (2014–2015)
- Staff Attorney, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Hogar Immigrant Services (2012–2014)
- Common respondent nationalities included.
- She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar.

## Sources

Identity source checked October 6, 2026 .

### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory

Identity source · HTML · Source checked October 6, 2026

[Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections)

## Courtroom rules

[Official EOIR hearing and filing instructions](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir)