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 Richard C. Jacobs earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from Sonoma State University, a Master of Arts in 1994 from San Francisco State University, and a Juris Doctor in 2000 from the University of Miami School of Law. He served as an assistant state attorney in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office in Miami from 2000 to 2008, and as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2010 to 2012. From 2008 to 2018 he served as assistant chief counsel and deputy chief counsel with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Miami and Orlando. He is a member of The Florida Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
718
Completions per year
4,306 total
63.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
2.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
15.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
17.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
113 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.
46.6%
Bond requests granted
412 bond decisions High confidence
$7,500
Median bond when set
187 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 46.6%
Court average 33.3% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
14.1%
475 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
5.1%
829 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
8.1%
99 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
62.5%⚠
24 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
66.7%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
82.6%
419 decisions High confidence
14.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 475 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
14.1%
This court
13.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 29% 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 · 293 decisions since 2021
18.4%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 182 decisions since 2021
7.1%
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).