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 Lisa A de Cardona earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1986 from St. Joseph's University and a Juris Doctor in 1990 from Widener University School of Law. She began her career as a law clerk with the EOIR Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (1990-1991) through the Attorney General's Honors Program, and served for many years as an attorney advisor and supervisory attorney advisor with the Board of Immigration Appeals. From 2013 to 2016 she was associate program director for the EOIR Office of Legal Access Programs.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
448
Completions per year
2,687 total
11.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
36.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
4.6%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
18.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.1%
Appeals remanded or reversed
49 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.
7.7%⚠
Bond requests granted
13 bond decisions Too few cases
$8,000
Median bond when set
3 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 7.7%
Court average 50%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
20.2%
767 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3%
1,119 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
5.9%⚠
34 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
58.3%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
94.6%
130 decisions Moderate
20.2%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 767 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
20.2%
This court
26.2%
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 · 708 decisions since 2021
21.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 59 decisions since 2021
6.8%
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).