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 R Prieto earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1992 from Hofstra University and a Juris Doctor in 2000 from St. John's University School of Law. He served as an assistant chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York (2010-2019) and in Miami (2009-2010), as an assistant attorney general in the New Mexico Attorney General's Office (2007-2009), as an assistant district attorney in the First Judicial District Attorney's Office in Santa Fe (2006-2007), and as an examiner with AIG (2004-2006).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,259
Completions per year
7,552 total
22.9%
Detained at decision
share of cases
10.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
18.9%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
2.4%
Appeals remanded or reversed
212 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.
21.3%
Bond requests granted
75 bond decisions Moderate
$7,500
Median bond when set
16 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 21.3%
Court average 35.8% · 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
29%
854 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.2%
1,086 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
59.3%⚠
27 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
57.1%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
90.7%
108 decisions Moderate
29%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 854 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
29%
This court
37.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 46% 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 · 673 decisions since 2021
35.1%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 181 decisions since 2021
6.6%
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).