New York · est. 2013Friday, September 4, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Immigration judges

Jacinto Palomino

Immigration Judge, Otero Immigration Court. Appointed June 2015 by Eric Holder.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Palomino76.4%
Chaparral court70.2%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
394
Asylum granted
51
Other relief granted
42
Denied
301
Against own court
+6.2 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
71%60%62%91%88%83%

Read from TRAC's chart to the nearest point. Years with fewer than 25 decisions are not shown.

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 36% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Turkiye (14.2%), Venezuela (12.2%), Nicaragua (10.7%), Colombia (8.1%), Mexico (7.9%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge Palomino to begin hearing cases in June 2015.Judge Palomino received a bachelor of arts degree in 1993 from Santa Clara University and ajuris doctorate in 1996 from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. From June 1998 to May 2015, Judge Palomino served at the Third Judicial District of New Mexico in various capacities including chief deputy district attorney, district court judge and deputy district attorney. In 1997, Judge Palomino joined the U.S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General's Corps, where he currently serves as major. From 1981 to 1984, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Judge Palomino is a member of the State Bars of California and New Mexico.

As published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review at appointment, via TRAC.

In the record

No published reporting or appellate decisions naming this judge have been collected yet.

Other judges at Chaparral

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.