The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 4.9% historical asylum grant rate for Richard Cato at Orlando, FL, based on 131 grants and 2,544 denials (2,675 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Richard Cato with Orlando, FL. With an asylum approval rate of 4.9%, this judge is below average compared to the national average. Data sourced from EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review). Historical listings do not by themselves establish a current assignment.
Community Discussion
DATAAsylumTracker Data
Judge Cato (Orlando, FL) data snapshot: Overall rate fell from 19% to 2% in 3 years
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Cato, Richard (IJ code RDC, Orlando, FL):
Overall track record
12 years on the bench (since 2015), 3,189 cases total, lifetime grant rate 7.1%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 3,146 cases, grant rate 7.2% — roughly in line with the Orlando court average (5.7%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Cuba 1121 16.7%
Honduras 296 1.9%
Brazil 278 11.0%
Venezuela 265 3.0%
Guatemala 256 2.3%
Colombia 177 14.6%
Mexico 173 2.1%
Haiti 147 0.0%
Nicaragua 108 0.0%
Dominican Republic 40 22.9%
Ecuador 36 29.6%
Year-by-year
2023: 466 cases, 19.1% grant rate
2024: 493 cases, 7.6% grant rate
2025: 1383 cases, 4.8% grant rate
2026: 804 cases, 2.2% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Cato, I'd love to hear:
1. What's your nationality, and when was your most recent hearing?
2. How did your attorney prepare for this judge specifically?
Source: EOIR (U.S. Executive Office for Immigration Review) public statistics, May 2026 release, compiled by AsylumTracker. A judge's historical pattern does not predict the outcome of any individual case; this is shared to help set realistic expectations. Real-experience accounts from the community are welcome.
Have experience with this judge? Open AsylumTracker to reply or read more responses from the community.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Richard Cato is listed with the Orlando, FL Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 4.9% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Honduras (392 decided, 1.3% grant rate), Venezuela (349 decided, 1.7% grant rate), and Guatemala (347 decided, 1.4% grant rate). Compare these rows with the judge's overall rate because nationality mix can materially change how the headline number should be read.
Grant rate is calculated as granted / (granted + denied). Other procedural outcomes, including terminated, withdrawn, administratively closed, or removed cases, are tracked separately where available and are not treated as asylum grants.
This page is based on public EOIR data last updated 2026-09-01. It is for research and information only, not legal advice.
Judge Richard Cato granted asylum in 4.9% of 2,675 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Richard Cato grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (4.9%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Orlando, FL grants 7.7%. It is a historical average, not a prediction for any one case.
How is this grant rate calculated?
Grants divided by grants plus denials. Terminations, withdrawals and administrative closures are not counted.
