# Shayne M. Welling Shayne M. Welling was appointed as a temporary immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026. Judge Welling earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from West Liberty University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from West Virginia University College of Law. From July 2003 to March 2026, he served as a judge advocate with the West Virginia Army National Guard in the following locations: Baghdad, Iraq; Camp Dawson, West Virginia; Stuttgart, Germany; Poznan, Poland; Pirbright, England; Price Barracks, Belize; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Tikrit, Iraq; and Eleanor and Charleston, West Virginia. From June 2004 to May 2025, he was at the First Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corporation in Wheeling, West Virginia, serving in the following roles: chief public defender (November 2009-May 2025); and assistant public defender (June 2004November 2009). From August 2002 to June 2004, he served as a judicial clerk at the Ohio County Circuit Court in Wheeling, West Virginia. He holds the rank of colonel. Judge Welling is a member of the West Virginia State Bar. Temporary Immigration Judge · [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Shayne M. Welling at a glance Current role Temporary Immigration Judge Court [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Virginia · 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. ### [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Assigned court [Sterling Immigration Court](/kyj/court/va/sterling-immigration-court) Webex / internet [Join EOIR Webex ↗](https://eoir.webex.com/meet/IJ.Welling) Telephone access 2831 900 7419 EOIR lists Internet-based hearing links and telephonic access codes in its current hearing directory. The hearing notice and current EOIR instructions control whether a particular hearing is remote or in person. Unrepresented respondents generally appear in person unless EOIR directs otherwise. [EOIR hearing directory ↗](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings) · verified August 18, 2026 Historical EOIR data ## Outcomes at a glance Total outcomes 196 Relief granted 6 3.1% Denied / removal ordered 158 80.6% Other / procedural 32 16.3% 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 80 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 0 (0.0%) and denied in 80 (100.0%); 0 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics) ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge Advocate with the West Virginia Army National Guard (2003–2026), deployed to multiple locations including Iraq, Germany, Poland, England, Belize, and North Carolina - Legal Career: Chief Public Defender (2009–2025) and Assistant Public Defender (2004–2009) at the First Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corporation, Wheeling, WV - From June 2004 to May 2025, he was at the First Judicial Circuit Public Defender Corporation in Wheeling, West Virginia, serving in the following roles: chief public defender (November 2009-May 2025); and assistant public defender (June 2004November 2009) - judicial clerk at the Ohio County Circuit Court in Wheeling, West Virginia (August 2002–June 2004) - Immigration Judge assigned to the Indianapolis, Indiana Immigration Court and also listed in EOIR records as active at the Sterling, Virginia Immigration Court - a judge advocate with the West Virginia Army National Guard in the following locations: Baghdad, Iraq - In summary: Judge Welling is a newly appointed immigration judge with a military and public defense background ### Education - B.A. (1999) — West Liberty University J.D. (2002) — West Virginia University College of Law ### Additional information - Appointed as a temporary immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026 - Appointed in April 2026 under the Trump administration and began hearing cases that month - Tikrit, Iraq; and Eleanor and Charleston, West Virginia — July 2003–March 2026 - Camp Dawson, West Virginia - Stuttgart, Germany - Poznan, Poland - Pirbright, England - Price Barracks, Belize - Fort Bragg, North Carolina - handling a significant caseload in Indianapolis, with asylum grant rates below national averages and a record showing high removal orders and selective relief grants - He holds the rank of colonel - Current Status: Active immigration judge; member of the West Virginia State Bar ## Sources Identity source checked September 25, 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 ### DOJ/EOIR role evidence — Shayne M. Welling Judge Specific source · HTML · Source checked September 15, 2026 ### EOIR Announces 15 Immigration Judges and 17 Temporary Immigration Judges Identity source · PDF · Source checked September 15, 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.