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 Francis Mwangi earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1991 from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Juris Doctor in 1997 from the West Virginia University College of Law, and a Master of Laws in 2011 from the University of Houston Law Center. He was an associate with the immigration law firm of Blaine L. Gilbert & Associates in Baltimore (1997-2003), was in private immigration practice in Maryland and Texas (2003-2016), and served as a staff attorney and attorney supervisor in the Legal Services Section at State Counsel for Offenders, Texas Board of Criminal Justice (2016-2022). He was appointed as an immigration judge in August 2022 and sits at the Jena Immigration Court. Judge Mwangi is a member of the Maryland State Bar, the State Bar of Texas, and the West Virginia State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
725
Completions per year
3,623 total
86.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
2.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
17.9%
Appeals remanded or reversed
112 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.
57.7%
Bond requests granted
541 bond decisions High confidence
$7,500
Median bond when set
300 bonds with amounts
1.3%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 57.7%
Court average 33.3% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
22%
519 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
8.9%
832 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
14.5%
55 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
80%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
89.2%
612 decisions High confidence
22%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 519 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
22%
This court
13.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 44% 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 · 381 decisions since 2021
25.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 138 decisions since 2021
13%
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).