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 Cynthia Goodman earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from the University of North Texas and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from Texas Tech University School of Law. She served as an assistant county attorney in Potter County, Texas (2006-2008) and as assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas (2008-2013), including a detail as a special assistant U.S. attorney. She later practiced immigration and criminal defense law in Amarillo (2013-2016) and served as a pro se staff attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2016-2023). She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
640
Completions per year
2,562 total
82.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
2.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
20.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
104 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.
38.3%
Bond requests granted
381 bond decisions High confidence
$9,000
Median bond when set
141 bonds with amounts
0.7%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 38.3%
Court average 36.4% · 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
11.2%
365 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
6.5%
737 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
11.5%
87 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
57.1%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
70%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
71.4%
747 decisions High confidence
11.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 365 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
11.2%
This court
11.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 21% 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 · 233 decisions since 2021
15%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 132 decisions since 2021
4.5%
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).