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 Bruce Imbacuan earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from Suffolk University and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from Temple University School of Law. He served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2007-2019), a housing court magistrate for the Cleveland Municipal Housing Court (2005-2007), an assistant prosecuting attorney with the Cleveland Prosecutor's Office (2002-2005), and a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (1998-2002). He is a member of the Ohio State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,132
Completions per year
6,790 total
12.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
15.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
26.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
8.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
55.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
185 appeals decided
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
48.9%
Bond requests granted
278 bond decisions High confidence
$7,500
Median bond when set
100 bonds with amounts
22.8%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 48.9%
Court average 37.1% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
9%
536 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.3%
987 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
30.6%⚠
36 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
30.8%⚠
13 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
71.4%⚠
28 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
81.4%
140 decisions Moderate
9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 536 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
9%
This court
19.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 16% 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 · 411 decisions since 2021
10.7%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 125 decisions since 2021
3.2%
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).