The Honorable Immigration Judge Katherine Estes
Kansas City, MO Immigration Court
Appointed March 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Katherine Estes earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1990 from Truman State University and a Juris Doctor in 1998 from the Antonin Scalia Law School. Before her appointment, she served as branch head for military personnel law at the U.S. Marine Corps Pentagon office (2019-2024) and as vice president and chief administrative officer for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (2017-2019). From 1990 to 2015, she served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, first as a financial management officer and later as a judge advocate, retiring as staff judge advocate for III Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
74
Completions per year
148 total
62.2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
16.5 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
4.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2%
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.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
7 bond decisions Too few cases
$5,000
Median bond when set
3 bonds with amounts
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 11.2% · 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 | |
0%⚠ |
11 decisions Too few cases |
| Withholding / CAT | |
4.3%⚠ |
23 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
25%⚠ |
4 decisions Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
0%⚠ |
1 decision Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
91.8%⚠ |
49 decisions Too few cases |
0%⚠
of asylum claims granted on the merits
Based on 11 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 · 10 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 1 decision 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).