Appointed November 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
2 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Enrique A. Holguin earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan University. Before his appointment he managed a nonprofit serving migrants and refugees in El Paso (2023), practiced immigration and criminal defense law (2014-2023), served as a municipal judge for the City of El Paso (2015-2023), and worked as an assistant district attorney (2013). He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
784
Completions per year
3,920 total
2.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
7.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
32.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
37.4%
Appeals remanded or reversed
99 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.
29.4%⚠
Bond requests granted
17 bond decisions Too few cases
$5,000
Median bond when set
9 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 29.4%
Court average 0%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
7.7%
297 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3.2%
401 decisions High confidence
Adjustment of status (245)
28.6%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
97.1%
68 decisions Moderate
7.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 297 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.7%
This court
18.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 13% 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 · 155 decisions since 2021
12.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 142 decisions since 2021
2.8%
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.
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).