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 Frank T Pimentel earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1987 and a Juris Doctor in 1994 from the University of Notre Dame. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas in Laredo (2009-2012) and for the Western District of New York in Buffalo (2012-2017), as a senior associate attorney at Mintz Levin in Washington, D.C. (2004-2009), as an associate attorney at Reed Smith LLP in Falls Church, Virginia (1999-2004), and as an assistant public defender in Monroe County, New York (1995-1999). He began his legal career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer and earlier served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army (1987-1990). He is a member of the New York State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,378
Completions per year
8,271 total
64%
Detained at decision
share of cases
0.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
2.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
24.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
85 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.
49.6%
Bond requests granted
797 bond decisions High confidence
$5,000
Median bond when set
417 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 49.6%
Court average 43.6% · 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
7.9%
382 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.4%
791 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
12.5%⚠
32 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
50%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
93.4%
701 decisions High confidence
7.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 382 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.9%
This court
8.3%
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 · 193 decisions since 2021
13.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 189 decisions since 2021
2.1%
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).