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 Elvin Talavera-Peraza earned a Bachelor of Science in 1996 from Iowa State University and a Juris Doctor in 2001 from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. He served as a law clerk for the Puerto Rico Appeals Court in San Juan (2001-2003), was in private practice in Arecibo, Puerto Rico (2003-2007), and served as a state trial court judge in Utuado, Puerto Rico, from 2007 to 2020. Judge Talavera-Peraza is a member of the Puerto Rico State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
906
Completions per year
5,435 total
11.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
21.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
14.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
16.4%
Appeals remanded or reversed
67 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.
91%
Bond requests granted
312 bond decisions High confidence
$4,000
Median bond when set
279 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 91%
Court average 71.7% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
10%
552 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.5%
939 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
47.2%⚠
36 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
36.4%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
72.5%⚠
40 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
86.8%
152 decisions Moderate
10%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 552 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
10%
This court
22.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 19% 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
13.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 151 decisions since 2021
0.7%
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).