The Honorable Immigration Judge Lucero Saldana Mistry
Chelmsford (LOW), MA Immigration Court
Appointed May 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Lucero Saldana Mistry earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2006 from Florida Atlantic University and a Juris Doctor in 2009 from Florida Coastal School of Law. From 2017 to 2023, she held roles including staff attorney, supervising attorney, and deputy executive director at the Frank H. Hiscock Legal Aid Society in New York. From 2013 to 2017, she was in private practice at U.S. Immigration Assist PA in Florida, and from 2010 to 2013 she was an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Morano International PA. She is a member of the District of Columbia, Florida, and New York State Bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
462
Completions per year
2,769 total
0.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
32.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
11.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
177 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.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
3 bond decisions Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 40.1% · median $6,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
35.9%
512 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.9%
554 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
47.6%⚠
21 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
98.1%
52 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
95.7%⚠
23 decisions Too few cases
35.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 512 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
35.9%
This court
40.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 35% 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 · 499 decisions since 2021
35.3%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 13 decisions since 2021
61.5%
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.
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).