# Meghan E. Heesch

Immigration Judge · [San Diego Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/san-diego-immigration-court)

Last updated October 7, 2026

## Meghan E. Heesch at a glance

Current role

Immigration Judge

Court

[San Diego Immigration Court](/kyj/court/ca/san-diego-immigration-court)

Jurisdiction

California · Federal

Historical EOIR data

## Outcomes at a glance

Total outcomes

2,287

Relief granted

126 5.5%

Denied / removal ordered

754 33.0%

Other / procedural

1,407 61.5%

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

- Appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland through the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to begin hearing cases in February 2023 U.S. Department of Justice
- Appointed U.S. Immigration Judge at the San Diego Immigration Court, beginning her tenure in February 2023, with a background in federal prosecution, legal academia, and immigration law
- Assistant U.S. Attorney (2015–2022) for the Southern District of California, entering via the Attorney General’s Honors Program
- Clinical teaching fellow & supervising attorney at the Detainee Rights Clinic, University of Minnesota Law School (2013–2015)
- Attorney advisor at Orlando Immigration Court (2012–2013)

### Education

- Harvard Law School — J.D. (2012)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison — B.A. (2007)

### Additional information

- As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Judge Heesch led Operation Trojan Shield, a DOJ–FBI–Australian Federal Police collaboration resulting in over 1,000 arrests, and was recognized with Trial Attorney of the Month awards and the 2022 FBI International Operations case award
- She is a member of the Maryland and Minnesota State Bars

## Sources

Identity source checked September 19, 2026 .

### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory

Identity source · HTML · Source checked September 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

### bordercrossinglaw.com — biography evidence

Biography evidence collected 2026-10-11

### insideimmigration.com — biography evidence

### tracreports.org — biography evidence

### www.justice.gov — biography evidence

### www.sanfordheisler.com — biography evidence

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