The Honorable Immigration Judge Daniel J Gallegos
Adelanto, CA Immigration Court
Appointed February 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Daniel J. Gallegos earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2000 from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Science in 2001 from the University of New Mexico, a Juris Doctor in 2005 from Notre Dame Law School, and a Master of Laws in 2025 from the Georgetown University Law Center. He was an attorney in private practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 2021 to 2026, served as a district court judge on New Mexico's Second Judicial District Court from 2019 to 2020 and as a judge on the New Mexico Court of Appeals in 2018, and earlier was a staff attorney at that court and an assistant district attorney. He has served as a military attorney in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps and Reserve since 2005, holding the rank of commander. He is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
183
Completions per year
183 total
81.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
3.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
5.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
14.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 1 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 23.7% · median $9,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
9.5%⚠ |
21 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
0%⚠ |
43 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
0%⚠ |
7 decisions Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
40%⚠ |
5 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
88.4% |
69 decisions Moderate |
9.5%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 21 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 16 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 5 decisions since 2021
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).