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 Rico M Sogocio earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1987 from Northwestern University and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. He worked in immigration litigation (1994-1999) and private practice (2002-2010), taught as an adjunct professor at the Miami-Dade College Law Center (2008-2010), and served as senior counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at EOIR from 2010 to October 2016. Judge Sogocio is a member of the Florida and Pennsylvania bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,667
Completions per year
10,003 total
1.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
25.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
17.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
3.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
9.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
62 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
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
18.8%
383 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.7%
591 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
51.1%⚠
45 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
77.8%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
83.3%
60 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
95.6%⚠
45 decisions Too few cases
18.8%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 383 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
18.8%
This court
20.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 38% 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 · 344 decisions since 2021
18.6%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 39 decisions since 2021
20.5%
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.
* 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).