Joseph La Rocca

Immigration Judge, New Orleans Immigration Court. Appointed June 2015 by Eric Holder.

StrictDenies more often than the national average+9.6 points

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

Judge Rocca72.5%

New Orleans court69.3%

All judges nationally62.9%

Decisions on the merits: 1,327
Asylum granted: 285
Other relief granted: 80
Denied: 962
Against own court: +3.2 pts

Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21	FY22	FY23	FY24	FY25	FY26
75%	79%	45%	39%	72%	94%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 80% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Honduras (42%), Guatemala (15.7%), Nicaragua (13.5%), Mexico (5.8%), El Salvador (4.2%).

Official biography

Attorney General Eric Holder appointed Judge La Rocca to begin hearing cases in June 2015.Judge La Rocca received a bachelor of arts degree in 1998 and a juris doctorate in 2001, both from Louisiana State University. From July 2006 to May 2015, Judge La Rocca served at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in variouscapacities including senior attorney and assistant chief counsel, in New Orleans. From 2002 to2006, he was an attorney at David Ware & Associates, in Metairie, La. From 2001 to 2002,Judge La Rocca was an attorney at the Holliday Law Firm, in Baton Rouge, La. Judge La Roccais a member of the Louisiana State Bar.

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 New Orleans

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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.