# Leon Francis Immigration Judge · [Santa Ana Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/santa-ana-immigration-court) Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Leon Francis at a glance Current role Immigration Judge Court [Santa Ana Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/santa-ana-immigration-court) Jurisdiction California · Federal Judicial service Active ## Hearings & court access EOIR publishes the following court assignment and hearing-access information for this judge. The hearing notice and current EOIR instructions control whether a particular hearing is remote or in person. ### [Santa Ana Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/santa-ana-immigration-court) Assigned court [Santa Ana Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/santa-ana-immigration-court) Webex / internet [Join EOIR Webex ↗](https://eoir.webex.com/meet/IJ.Francis) Telephone access 199 380 3134 Hearing links and telephone access are for parties to scheduled internet-based hearings. Visitors should attend the scheduled courtroom in person. Unrepresented respondents default to in-person hearings regardless of the directory entry. Confirm the hearing medium with the hearing notice and court. For a telephonic hearing, dial 1-415-527-5035 and enter the listed access code. Recording or photographing the hearing is prohibited. [EOIR hearing directory ↗](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings) · verified September 7, 2026 Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 5,810 Relief granted 422 7.3% Denied / removal ordered 3,871 66.6% Other / procedural 1,517 26.1% 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 Asylum decisions and other statistics ## Analytics Published EOIR records include 1,921 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 315 (16.4%) and denied in 1,593 (82.9%); 13 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Leon J. Francis is a U.S. immigration judge appointed in October 2018 by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to hear cases at multiple Immigration Courts, including Santa Ana, CA and Los Angeles – West Los Angeles (WLA), CA - Former U.S. Marine Corps judge advocate (1996–2018) serving in Kaneohe, HI ### Education - Gonzaga University School of Law — J.D. (1996) - Boise State University — B.A. (1993) ### Additional information - Camp Pendleton, CA - Pentagon, DC - Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan; and Yuma, AZ - Served as a military judge for the last six years of his career - Member of the Idaho State Bar ## Notable coverage ### [Special Report: How Trump administration left indelible mark on U.S. immigration courts](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-trump-court-special-r/special-report-how-trump-administration-left-indelible-mark-on-u-s-immigration-courts-idUSKBN2B0179) Reuters · March 8, 2021 · Reuters Reuters profiles Francis’s appointment and judicial record while investigating how the administration reshaped the immigration courts. Applicable Court Rules & Procedures Rules last checked July 30, 2026 . ### Filing requirements For non-detained individual calendar hearings, advance filings are generally due at least 30 days before the hearing and responses are due within 10 days after the original filing; detained-case deadlines are set by the immigration judge. ### Exhibits Briefs, motions, and exhibits should use consecutive page numbers, and proposed exhibits or supporting documents should include a table of contents identifying page numbers. ### Witnesses A witness list should identify each non-respondent witness, summarize the expected testimony, estimate its length, state the testimony language, and include a CV or resume for an expert. ### Interpreter Request Deadline A respondent or practitioner should request an interpreter no later than 30 days before the hearing at which interpreter services will be needed. ### Addressing The Judge Address the immigration judge as “Your Honor” or “Judge,” and stand when the judge enters and exits the courtroom. ### Oral argument Except when questioning witnesses, direct oral argument and statements to the immigration judge rather than debating the opposing party. ### Recording and broadcasting Only the immigration judge may record a hearing; practitioners of record may use silent electronic devices only for immediately relevant court business and subject to the judge’s control. ### Hearings At an individual calendar hearing, be prepared to make opening and closing statements, raise evidentiary objections, present witnesses and evidence, and cross-examine opposing witnesses. If the hearing medium is uncertain or an internet-based hearing cannot be accessed, contact the hearing immigration court; unrepresented respondents default to in-person hearings. ### Remote appearances Photographing or recording any part of an internet-based immigration hearing is prohibited and may result in penalties. ## Sources Identity source checked August 19, 2026 . Biography sources checked August 19, 2026 . ### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 19, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.1 - Delivery and Receipt Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 30, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.3 - Documents ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.10 - Interpreters ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.11 - Courtroom Decorum ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.12 - Electronic Devices ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.15 - Individual Calendar Hearing ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ### Current EOIR official staff directory Current EOIR Official Staff Directory source · HTML · Source checked October 7, 2026 ### bordercrossinglaw.com — biography evidence Biography evidence collected 2026-10-11 ### insideimmigration.com — biography evidence ### tracreports.org — biography evidence ### tracreports.org — biography evidence ### www.openimmigration.us — biography evidence [Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections) ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.1 — Delivery and Receipt](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-c9195b4f0bba01a19aa8df41) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-1). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 3.11 — Courtroom Decorum](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8d8e8e8bf80478864645291a) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-3-11). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.3 — Documents](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-53ee093be24c18a5d1a93046) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-3). Collected 2026-10-27.