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An analysis by the Transactional Records Clearinghouse at Syracuse University shows that two immigration judges in El Paso, Tex., have a much higher denial rate than the national average. El Paso borders Juarez, Mexico, a city known for its out-of-control drug violence; there have been about 1,220 homicides this year, while there were 3,100 in 2010.
Judges rejected 53.2 percent of asylum cases nationally between 2006 and 2011. However, two judges in El Paso denied 83.3 percent of cases. Judge Thomas C. Roepke denied 148 of 153 petitions, for a 96.7 percent denial rate. Judge William L. Abbott denied 74.6 percent of cases, or 144 out of 193.
The study notes, the unusual persistence of these disparities no matter how the asylum cases are examined indicates that the identity of the judge who handles a particular matter often is more important than the underlying facts.
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