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 Francisco Mendez earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from Fordham Law School. He served as an administrative judge for the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals at the Department of Defense in Arlington, Virginia, from 2011 to 2018, and as a trial attorney for the Department of Defense from 2003 to 2011. He also served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force for twenty years, combining active-duty and reserve service. He is a member of the New York State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,103
Completions per year
6,620 total
0.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
27.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
22.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
20%
Appeals remanded or reversed
25 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
39.7%
771 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3.9%
919 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
77.6%⚠
49 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
83.3%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
93.6%⚠
47 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.4%
144 decisions Moderate
39.7%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 771 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
39.7%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 31% 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 · 687 decisions since 2021
43.8%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 84 decisions since 2021
6%
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).