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 Jacinto Palomino earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1993 from Santa Clara University and a Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Before his appointment, he served in the Third Judicial District of New Mexico from 1998 to 2015 in roles including deputy district attorney, chief deputy district attorney, and district court judge. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General's Corps in 1997, holding the rank of major, and earlier served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1981 to 1984.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,106
Completions per year
6,636 total
55.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
0.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
23.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
106 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.
2.8%
Bond requests granted
1,182 bond decisions High confidence
$10,000
Median bond when set
357 bonds with amounts
12.1%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 2.8%
Court average 16.2% · median $5,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
13.5%
385 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2%
762 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
20.7%
87 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
37.5%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
0%⚠
3 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
74%
572 decisions High confidence
13.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 385 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
13.5%
This court
24.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 28% 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 · 159 decisions since 2021
25.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 226 decisions since 2021
5.3%
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).