What is Judge Emmanuel Garcia's background?
EOIR's notice says that Emmanuel Garcia was appointed in May 2024. Judge Garcia earned a Bachelor of Science in 2006 from Southwestern University, a Juris Doctor in 2011 from St. Mary’s University School of Law, and a Master of Laws in 2012 from the University of Texas School of Law. From 2020 to 2024, he served as a deputy chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in San Antonio. From 2016 to 2020, he served as an assistant chief counsel with OPLA, ICE, DHS, in San Antonio. From 2013 to 2016, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Orlando L. Garcia, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. From 2012 to 2013, he served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Marialyn Barnard of the Court of Appeals, Fourth Judicial District, State of Texas.
What does TRAC report about Judge Emmanuel Garcia's asylum decisions?
TRAC, a research center that began at Syracuse University, reports that for FY 2021 - 2026 (data covers the first 9 months of fiscal year 2026), Judge Emmanuel Garcia decided 181 asylum cases at Laredo Immigration Court and denied 94.5 percent, based on its report of Aug 27, 2026. These are past figures for one court. They do not predict your case, which turns on your facts, evidence, nationality and representation, and TRAC cautions against simple comparisons between judges at different courts. Read the full report at TRAC, and talk to a lawyer about your own case.
What the official record establishes
The source lists the name Emmanuel Garcia in 1 alphabetical row. The recorded title is Immigration Judge. The record is not an appointment history or an employment certification.
Dated court associations
EOIR’s court-specific tables associate this entry with Laredo Immigration Court. The relationship is recorded as listed 2026-10-20; it may include supervisory coverage rather than a merits-hearing assignment.