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 Lafuente earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1991 from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. From 2005 to 2017 she worked for U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, serving as deputy chief of staff and counsel and then as chief of staff and counsel, while also maintaining a private practice in San Antonio. Earlier she served as an assistant attorney general for the State of Texas in San Antonio from 1998 to 2004.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,092
Completions per year
12,549 total
11.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
27.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
1.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
56.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
48 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.
80%⚠
Bond requests granted
10 bond decisions Too few cases
$1,500
Median bond when set
8 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 80%
Court average 64.8% · 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
35.8%
495 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3.6%
563 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
60.8%
79 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
90.9%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
81.8%⚠
22 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
98.9%
609 decisions High confidence
35.8%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 495 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
35.8%
This court
30.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 35% 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 · 401 decisions since 2021
40.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 94 decisions since 2021
16%
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).