# Luther Snavely Immigration Judge · [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Last updated October 7, 2026 ## Luther Snavely at a glance Current role Immigration Judge Court [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Virginia · Federal Judicial service Active Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 3,553 Relief granted 107 3.0% Denied / removal ordered 2,561 72.1% Other / procedural 885 24.9% 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 1,271 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 93 (7.3%) and denied in 1,176 (92.5%); 2 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Luther M. Snavely is an Immigration Judge assigned to the Sterling Immigration Court in Virginia, appointed in March 2022, with a record of denying asylum in over 90% of cases during FY 2021–2026 - Appointment: March 2022 under President Joe Biden, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland - Legal Career: 1994–1998: Associate Attorney, Garcia-Mendoza & Associates, Las Vegas, NV 1998–2016: Partner, Garcia-Mendoza & Snavely, Las Vegas, NV 2016–2022: Senior Associate Attorney, Reza Athari & Associates, Las Vegas, NV ### Education - Notre Dame Law School — J.D. (1994) - Bachelor of Business Administration (1989) from the University of Notre Dame ### Additional information - State Bar of Nevada. - Representation: 75% of respondents represented by counsel (national average: 81%). - Denial rates vary by judge due to case mix, detention status, legal representation, nationality, and policy changes — not solely judicial philosophy. ## Sources Identity source checked August 19, 2026 . Biography sources checked October 11, 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 [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.