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

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

Immigration judges

Madeline Garcia

Immigration Judge, Miami Immigration Court.

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

TRAC source →
Judge Garcia77.2%
Miami court71.5%
All judges nationally62.9%
Decisions on the merits
416
Asylum granted
57
Other relief granted
38
Denied
321
Against own court
+5.7 pts
Denial rate by fiscal year
FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25FY26
80%68%78%63%86%78%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 85% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Guatemala (23.1%), Honduras (18.8%), Cuba (18%), Nicaragua (13%), Venezuela (5.5%).

Official biography

Judge Garcia received a bachelor of arts degree in 1988 from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico and her juris doctorate in 1992 from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. From 1996 to May 2011, she was in private practice dedicated exclusively to immigration law, most recently as a sole practitioner at the Law Office of Madeline Garcia, P.A. From 2000 to 2002, she served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Puerto Rico, School of Law, heading the Legal Aid Clinic on asylum. From 1992 to 1996, Judge Garcia was an associate at Indiano & Williams, a federal civil litigation firm in Puerto Rico. Judge Garcia is a member of the Puerto Rico 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 Miami

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.