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 Julia Diaz-Rex earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from Florida International University, a Juris Doctor in 1993 from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, and a Master of Science in 2015 from the U.S. Army War College. Before her appointment, she served as an assistant U.S. attorney in San Juan, Puerto Rico (2005-2019), including as chief of the narcotics unit, and earlier as a senior trial attorney with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. She has served in the U.S. Coast Guard and Army since 1995 and is a member of the Florida and Ohio bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
936
Completions per year
5,615 total
11.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
19.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
16.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
9.5%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
15.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
57 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.
87.6%
Bond requests granted
234 bond decisions High confidence
$4,000
Median bond when set
203 bonds with amounts
0.5%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 87.6%
Court average 71.7% · median $6,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
13.3%
460 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.3%
764 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
48.3%
60 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
55.6%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
68.2%⚠
44 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
87.4%
190 decisions Moderate
13.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 460 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
13.3%
This court
22.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 27% 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 · 357 decisions since 2021
16.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 103 decisions since 2021
1.9%
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).