The Honorable Immigration Judge VICENTA BANUELOS-RODRIGUEZ
Imperial, CA Immigration Court
Appointed May 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
3 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Vicenta Banuelos-Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Science in 2001 from the University of Phoenix, a Juris Doctor in 2004 from Arizona State University, and an Executive Master of Global Management in 2022 from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. From 2005 to 2023, she operated her own practice at Banuelos Law Offices LLC in Phoenix, representing noncitizens in immigration matters. She earlier worked as an immigration law clerk from 1993 to 2003 and is a member of the State Bar of Arizona.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,763
Completions per year
5,288 total
13.5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
1.4 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
5.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
0.8%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 11 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
96.6%
Bond requests granted
322 bond decisions High confidence
$3,000
Median bond when set
310 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 96.6%
Court average 87% · median $3,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
47%
134 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
6.7%
149 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
50%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
75%⚠
12 decisions Too few cases
47%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 134 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
47%
This court
40.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 23% 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 · 107 decisions since 2021
55.1%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 27 decisions since 2021
14.8%
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.
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).