The Honorable Immigration Judge John P Fucetola

Sterling, VA Immigration Court
Appointed March 2026 · President Donald Trump Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration

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Dial 1-415-527-5035Access code: 2833 299 6789Telephonic access
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 P Fucetola earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from George Washington University and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from George Washington University Law School. From 2024 to 2026 he served as counsel at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and held assistant state's attorney positions in Maryland at various times between 2007 and 2024. He earlier served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Arizona and the District of Columbia and as a magistrate, beginning his legal career as a judicial law clerk in the D.C. Superior Court (2006-2007).

Caseload & process (since 2021)
34
Completions per year
170 total
0%
Detained at decision
share of cases
23.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
39.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
18.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 1 appeals — too few

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
7.5% 53 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
0% 88 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0% 6 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100% 5 decisions Too few cases
7.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 53 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.5%
This court
26.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 12% 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 · 49 decisions since 2021
8.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 4 decisions since 2021
0%

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.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%2025: 0% of 1 decisions0%20252026 (partial year): 7.7% of 52 decisions7.7%2026*
* 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).
Sterling, VA · home court
148 (87%)
4 (2.4%)
4 (2.4%)
2 (1.2%)
2 (1.2%)
2 (1.2%)