The Honorable Immigration Judge Christopher R Seppanen
Detroit, MI Immigration Court
Appointed August 2017 · President Donald Trump→ Attorney General Jeff Sessions
9 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Christopher R Seppanen earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from Alma College and a Juris Doctor in 1993 from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Before his appointment, he served the State of Michigan as chief administrative law judge (2014-2017), deputy chief administrative law judge (2012-2014), supervisory administrative law judge (2002-2012), and administrative law judge (1997-2002), and earlier as a trial attorney with the Office of Public Advocacy in Alpena, Michigan (1996-1997). He is a member of the Michigan State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
18
Completions per year
18 total
33.3%
Detained at decision
share of cases
0.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
0%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
100%⚠
Bond requests granted
2 bond decisions Too few cases
$12,500
Median bond when set
1 bonds with amounts
50%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 100%
Court average 44.2% · median $8,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
100%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
0%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
This judge has no asylum decisions on the merits in this period (since 2021).
Representation comparison unavailable.
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
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).