Appointed April 2021 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland(AG inferred from date)
5 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Elliot M Kaplan earned a Bachelor of Arts from Antioch University, a Master of Business Administration from Whittier College, and a Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School. Over his career he served of counsel to firms in Kansas City from 1985 to 2020, founded Daniels & Kaplan PC in Detroit and Kansas City from 1995 to 2003, and worked as assistant general counsel at Air One Inc. in St. Louis from 1983 to 1985. He is a member of the Missouri Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
298
Completions per year
893 total
2.4%
Detained at decision
share of cases
59.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
10.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.6%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
47.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
21 appeals decided
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 42.9% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
71.1%
194 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
22.8%
127 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
44.4%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
75%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
96.6%⚠
29 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
10 decisions Too few cases
71.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 194 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
71.1%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 7% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 187 decisions since 2021
72.2%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 7 decisions since 2021
42.9%
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).