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 Emmanuel Garcia earned a Bachelor of Science in 2006 from Southwestern University, a Juris Doctor in 2011 from St. Mary's University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in 2012 from the University of Texas School of Law. From 2020 to 2024 he served as a deputy chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in San Antonio, and from 2016 to 2020 as an assistant chief counsel with OPLA in San Antonio. From 2013 to 2016 he was a judicial law clerk to Chief Judge Orlando L. Garcia of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and from 2012 to 2013 a briefing attorney at the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,530
Completions per year
4,590 total
73.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
8.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
71 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.
27.7%
Bond requests granted
671 bond decisions High confidence
$15,000
Median bond when set
177 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 27.7%
Court average 43% · 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
0.6%
173 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
0.3%
372 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
15 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
33.3%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
0%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
67.4%
264 decisions High confidence
0.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 173 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
0.6%
This court
22.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 2% 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 · 67 decisions since 2021
1.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 106 decisions since 2021
0%
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).