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James Wesley Hendrix
2019 - Present
6
James Wesley Hendrix is a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Hendrix to this court. The U.S. Senate confirmed Hendrix on July 30, 2019, on a vote of 89-1.[1] He received commission on August 8, 2019.[2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
On March 15, 2016, President Barack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to serve as an Article III federal judge on the same court.[3] On January 3, 2017, Hendrix's nomination was returned to President Obama at the sine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.[1]
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94 U.S. district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Hendrix was the chief of the appellate division for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas from 2012 to 2019. He served as an assistant U.S. Attorney from 2007 to 2019.[4]
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2019-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Hendrix to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The U.S. Senate confirmed Hendrix on July 30, 2019, on a vote of 89-1.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: James Wesley Hendrix |
| Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 194 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: January 17, 2019
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously well qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: No hearing held
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: April 4, 2019
|
| Confirmed: July 30, 2019
|
| Vote: 89-1
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Hendrix on July 30, 2019, on a vote of 89-1.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Hendrix confirmation vote (July 30, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
37 | 1 | 7 | ||||||
 Republican |
51 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
 Independent |
1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 89 | 1 | 10 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Hendrix was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[5]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee vote
The Senate Judiciary Committee did not hold a hearing on Hendrix's nomination. On April 4, 2019, the committee voted unanimously to advance his nomination to the full Senate.[8]
Nomination
On January 16, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Hendrix to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas to succeed Judge Sam Cummings, who assumed senior status on December 31, 2014. The U.S. Senate officially received the nomination on January 17.[9][1]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Hendrix well qualified for the position.[10] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2016)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Barack Obama
President Barack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on March 15, 2016, to serve as an Article III federal judge. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Hearings on Hendrix's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 7, 2016.[11] Click here to access Hendrix's committee questionnaire.
Nomination
On March 15, 2016, President Barack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas to succeed Judge Jorge Solis, who retired from the federal bench on May 1, 2016.[12] On January 3, 2017, Hendrix's nomination was returned to President Obama at the sine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.[1]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Hendrix well qualified for the nomination.[13] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Education
Hendrix earned his B.A. with honors in 2000 from the University of Chicago and his J.D. with high honors in 2003 from the University of Texas School of Law.[4]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- 2007-2019: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Texas
- 2012-2019: Chief of the appellate division
- 2004-2007: Associate, Baker Botts LLP (Dallas, Texas)
- 2003-2004: Law clerk, Honorable Patrick E. Higginbotham of the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit[3][9]
Noteworthy cases
Supreme Court grants temporary injunction in deportation case (2025)
On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump (R) issued a presidential proclamation titled, "Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua." The proclamation invoked the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) against members of Tren de Aragua, a gang that originated in Venezuela.[14] The proclamation said, "I find and declare that [Tren de Aragua] is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States. [...] All Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies."[15]
On April 16, 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a petition of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on behalf of two Venezuelan nationals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas, and other similarly situated individuals as a class. The petition said the executive order violated the law and asked the court for a temporary restraining order preventing the deportations.[16] Judge James Wesley Hendrix issued a ruling on April 17 denying the request for a temporary restraining order, saying the named petitioners and class members did not face an imminent threat of deportation.[17] The ACLU appealed Hendrix's decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 18, which denied the appeal the same day.[18]
The ACLU filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court on April 18, saying the lower court's assessment that the plaintiffs were not at risk of deportation was incorrect. The ACLU asked the court to grant an injunction pending appeal.[19] On May 16, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a 7-2 opinion granting the ACLU's request for an injunction. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion, and Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.[20]
Noteworthy events
Federal judges sign letter regarding hiring Columbia University students (2024)
On May 6, 2024, Hendrix and 12 other federal judges signed a letter to Columbia University saying they would not hire undergraduates or law students from the university, beginning with the entering class of 2024.[21]
In the letter, the judges said, "As judges who hire law clerks every year to serve in the federal judiciary, we have lost confidence in Columbia as an institution of higher education."[22]
They signed the letter in the context of student demonstrations at Columbia University over the Israel-Hamas War. The students who participated in the demonstrations demanded that the university divest all of its finances from "companies and institutions that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine."[23]
The judges said they believed the university should institute consequences for faculty and students who participated in the demonstrations. They also called on the university to practice "neutrality and nondiscrimination in the protection of freedom of speech" and "viewpoint diversity on the faculty and across the administration."[22]
The Washington Post reported that Dean of Columbia Law School Gillian Lester said in a statement that graduates are "consistently sought out by leading employers in the private and public sectors, including the judiciary." Lester did not directly address the letter.[21]
About the court
| Northern District of Texas |
|---|
| Fifth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 12 |
| Judges: 11 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Reed O'Connor |
| Active judges: Jane Boyle, Ada Brown, David Godbey, James Wesley Hendrix, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, James Kinkeade, Sam Lindsay, Reed O'Connor, Mark Pittman, Karen Gren Scholer, Brantley Starr Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94 United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in downtown New Orleans at the John Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.
The Northern District of Texas has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The court convenes in Dallas with divisions in Fort Worth, Amarillo, Abilene, Lubbock, San Angelo, and Wichita Falls. It has jurisdiction over 100 counties in the Northern and Central parts of the state of Texas. Click here for a list of divisions and the counties they cover.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 United States Congress, "PN 1229 — James Wesley Hendrix — The Judiciary," accessed January 3, 2017 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "congress" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Hendrix, James Wesley," accessed August 12, 2019
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The White House, "President Obama nominates six to serve on the United States District Courts," March 15, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Senate Judiciary Committeee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: James Wesley Hendrix," accessed July 31, 2019
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," April 4, 2019
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Nineteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees," January 16, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed April 5, 2019
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," September 7, 2016
- ↑ Congress.gov, "PN1229 — James Wesley Hendrix — The Judiciary," accessed April 5, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III Judicial Nominees: 114th Congress," accessed April 19, 2016
- ↑ BBC, "What is Tren de Aragua, the Venezuelan gang targeted by Trump?" March 17, 2025
- ↑ White House, "Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of The United States by Tren De Aragua," March 14, 2025
- ↑ CourtListener, "W.M.M. v. Donald J. Trump," April 16, 2025
- ↑ CourtListener, "W.M.M. v. Donald J. Trump," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ CourtListener, "A.A.R.P. v. Trump (25-10534)," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ Supreme Court, "AARP Application," April 18, 2025
- ↑ Supreme Court, "No. 24A1007," accessed May 20, 2025
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 The Washington Post, "Conservative judges say they will boycott Columbia University students," May 7, 2024
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 The Washington Post, "Letter to Columbia University," May 6, 2024
- ↑ Columbia University Apartheid Divest, "Demands," accessed May 14, 2024
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
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| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 |
Whitney Hermandorfer • Joshua Divine • Cristian M. Stevens • Zachary Bluestone • Emil Bove • Edward Artau • Kyle Dudek | ||
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