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 John C Barnes earned a Bachelor of Science in 2002 from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor in 2009 from Ave Maria School of Law. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Texas from 2018 to 2020, as editor of The Army Lawyer from 2017 to 2018, as a training officer for the Defense Counsel Assistance Program from 2015 to 2017, and as defense counsel in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2015, following earlier roles as labor counsel and trial counsel in the Army from 2010 to 2013. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
811
Completions per year
4,867 total
30%
Detained at decision
share of cases
19 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
10.3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
12.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14.3%
Appeals remanded or reversed
91 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.
53.9%
Bond requests granted
525 bond decisions High confidence
$5,000
Median bond when set
282 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 53.9%
Court average 42.9% · 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
20.4%
807 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
6.4%
1,308 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
10.4%
77 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
28.6%⚠
14 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
78.4%⚠
37 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
97%
365 decisions High confidence
20.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 807 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
20.4%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 41% 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 · 709 decisions since 2021
22.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 98 decisions since 2021
6.1%
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).