Appointed August 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Carla Espinoza was appointed as an immigration judge in August 2023 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. She earned a Bachelor of Science in 2009 from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Juris Doctor with a Certificate in International and Comparative Law in 2012 from DePaul University College of Law. She served as a supervising attorney with Solis Law Firm PC in Chicago (2012-2013) and then as a supervising and managing attorney, and later managing partner, at Chicago Immigration Advocates Law Offices (2013-2023). She is a member of the Illinois State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,073
Completions per year
5,363 total
14.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
9.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
21.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
20 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.
62.4%
Bond requests granted
319 bond decisions High confidence
$4,500
Median bond when set
191 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 62.4%
Court average 56.1% · median $3,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
60.5%
253 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
17%
224 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
27.3%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
88.9%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
81.8%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
76.6%
128 decisions Moderate
60.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 253 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
60.5%
This court
45.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 12% 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 · 213 decisions since 2021
64.8%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 40 decisions since 2021
37.5%
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).