Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court.
Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Antonio Capistrano earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2005 from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor in 2008 from the Temple University Beasley School of Law. From 2020 to 2022, he was managing partner at MC Law Group, LLC, where he focused on immigration law and criminal defense, and from 2010 to 2020 he was a senior associate at the Law Offices of Tahir Mella, P.C., representing individuals before EOIR and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,331
Completions per year
7,984 total
4.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
4.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 19 appeals — too few
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
33.6%
733 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
7.4%
980 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
20%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
91.3%⚠
23 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
98.1%
103 decisions Moderate
33.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 733 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
33.6%
This court
38.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 39% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 690 decisions since 2021
35.5%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 43 decisions since 2021
2.3%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).