The Honorable Immigration Judge Monique Carreras-Amadeo
Otay Mesa, CA Immigration Court
Appointed March 2022 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
4 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Monique Carreras-Amadeo earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2003 from the University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor in 2007 from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law. From February 2008 to February 2012, she worked as an associate attorney at Rosario Immigration Attorneys in Miami and Orlando. From February 2012 to December 2021, she worked in private practice in Orlando, Florida, focusing exclusively on the practice of U.S. immigration law. She is a member of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
698
Completions per year
2,792 total
67.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
0.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
1.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
8.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
45 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.
37.3%
Bond requests granted
150 bond decisions Moderate
$7,500
Median bond when set
49 bonds with amounts
1.8%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 37.3%
Court average 60.8% · median $5,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
30.1%
356 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
4.4%
547 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
12%⚠
25 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
14 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
67.6%⚠
34 decisions Too few cases
30.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 356 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
30.1%
This court
31.3%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 44% 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 · 313 decisions since 2021
31.3%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 43 decisions since 2021
20.9%
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.
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).