The Honorable Immigration Judge Brandon Kennedy
Cleveland, OH Immigration Court
Appointed April 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi (AG inferred from date)
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
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Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Brandon Kennedy earned a Bachelor of Science in 2012 from Liberty University and a Juris Doctor in 2015 from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. From May 2023 to March 2026, he served as assistant chief of the criminal justice section at the Office of the Attorney General of Ohio in Columbus, and earlier was an assistant attorney general in that section (2015-2018). He served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army, including as senior special victim counsel for the Pacific Region and as an administrative law attorney and magistrate for the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and trial counsel for the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, and holds the rank of major in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
51
Completions per year
51 total
78.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
17.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 0 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
8.3%⚠
Bond requests granted
12 bond decisions Too few cases
$25,000
Median bond when set
1 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 8.3%
Court average 37.1% · median $10,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
0%⚠ |
15 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
0%⚠ |
25 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
0%⚠ |
6 decisions Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
0%⚠ |
1 decision Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
91.7%⚠ |
12 decisions Too few cases |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 15 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021. Fewer than 50 — treat this figure with caution.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyer⚠represented · 8 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 7 decisions since 2021
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).