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James Wesley Hendrix

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Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Tenure

2019 - Present

Years in position

Education

Bachelor's

University of Chicago, 2000

Law

University of Texas, 2003

Personal

Birthplace

Lubbock, Texas

Contact

Official website

James Wesley Hendrix is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. On January 17, 2019, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Hendrix to this court. TheU.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 byDonald Trump,click here.

On March 15, 2016, PresidentBarack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to serve as anArticle III federal judge on the same court.^[3] On January 3, 2017, Hendrix's nomination was returned to President Obama at thesine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.^[1]

TheUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94U.S. district courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the court,click here.

Hendrix was the chief of the appellate division for theU.S. Attorney's Office for theNorthern 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, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Hendrix to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. TheU.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.

Nomination Tracker

Nominee Information
Name: James Wesley Hendrix
Court:United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
Progress
Confirmed 194 days after nomination.
ANominated: January 17, 2019
AABA Rating:Unanimously well qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: No hearing held

QFRs:QFRs(Hover over QFRs to read more)

AReported: April 4, 2019
AConfirmed: July 30, 2019
AVote: 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

See also:

Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress

Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

United States federal courts

Hendrix was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, theU.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 todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.^[5]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.^[6]

It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.^[7] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.

Senate Judiciary Committee vote

TheSenate 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, PresidentDonald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Hendrix to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas to succeed JudgeSam Cummings, who assumedsenior status on December 31, 2014. TheU.S. Senate officially received the nomination on January 17.^[9]^[1]

TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Hendrixwell 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

PresidentBarack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on March 15, 2016, to serve as anArticle 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 theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 7, 2016.^[11]Click here to access Hendrix's committee questionnaire.

Nomination

On March 15, 2016, PresidentBarack Obama (D) nominated Hendrix to theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas to succeed JudgeJorge 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 thesine die adjournment of the 114th Congress.^[1]

TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Hendrixwell 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 hisJ.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 theUnited 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, PresidentDonald Trump (R) issued apresidential 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 theUnited 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] JudgeJames 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 theUnited 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. JusticeBrett Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion, and JusticesSamuel Alito andClarence 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: 9
Vacancies: 3
Judges
Chief:Reed O'Connor
Active judges:Ada Brown,James Wesley Hendrix,Matthew J. Kacsmaryk,James Kinkeade,Sam Lindsay,Reed O'Connor,Mark Pittman,Karen Gren Scholer,Brantley Starr Senior judges: Jane Boyle,Sam Cummings,A. Joe Fish,Sidney Fitzwater,David Godbey,Barbara Lynn,Robert Maloney,Terry Means

TheUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Texas is one of 94United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based in downtownNew Orleans at theJohn Minor Wisdom Federal Courthouse.

The Northern District of Texas hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The court convenes inDallas with divisions inFort Worth,Amarillo,Abilene,Lubbock,San Angelo, andWichita Falls. It has jurisdiction over 100 counties in the Northern and Central parts of the state ofTexas.Click here for a list of divisions and the counties they cover.

To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.

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 theSenate 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 ablue 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.