Bruce Imbacuan
Immigration Judge, Cleveland Immigration Court. Appointed January 2020 by William P. Barr.
Asylum record, FY 2021-2026
TRAC source →- Decisions on the merits
- 547
- Asylum granted
- 45
- Other relief granted
- 33
- Denied
- 469
- Against own court
- +6.5 pts
| FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | 50% | 71% | 66% | 84% | 98% |
Docket
Respondents represented by counsel: 73% (nationally, 81% are represented).
Most common nationalities: Guatemala (11.3%), Mexico (9.1%), Venezuela (8.6%), Haiti (7.1%), Honduras (6.9%).
Official biography
Attorney General Barr appointed Bruce D. Imbacuan to begin hearing cases in January 2020. Judge Imbacuan earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from Suffolk University and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from Temple University School of Law. From 2007 to 2019, he served as an assistant chief counsel, Office of Chief Counsel, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Cleveland. From 2005 to 2007, he served as a housing court magistrate for the Cleveland Municipal Housing Court. From 2002 to 2005, he served as an assistant prosecuting prosecutor with the City of Cleveland's Prosecutor's Office. From 1998 to 2002, he was a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Judge Imbacuan is a member of the Ohio State Bar.
In the record
"Even if You Win, You Stay Locked Up": How ICE Uses Appeals to Keep Immigrants in Detention
Mother Jones reports Cleveland immigration judge Bruce D. Imbacuan granted Sara Mendez-Morales deferral of removal under the Convention Against Torture in a 14-page decision on February 1, 2021, despite a record of rarely ruling in immigrants' favor; ICE then appealed and kept her detained.
Executive Office for Immigration Review to Swear in 28 Immigration Judges, Bringing Judge Corps to Highest Level in History
Official DOJ press release announcing Bruce D. Imbacuan's appointment as immigration judge for the Cleveland Immigration Court in January 2020, following prior work as an ICE assistant chief counsel and Cleveland Municipal Housing Court magistrate.
Other judges at Cleveland
Court page →About these figures. Denial rates describe outcomes in the cases a judge happened to hear, which differ by detention, nationality and representation. They are not a measure of fairness or competence. Method and sources are on the judges index.