Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court.
Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Kenneth Shahan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1991 from the University of Oklahoma, a Juris Doctor in 1995 from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and a Master of Laws in Military Law in 2004 from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1995 to 2022, he served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army, culminating as a circuit judge from 2014 to 2022 in locations including Fort Hood, Texas; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii; and Rose Barracks, Germany. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar and was appointed as an immigration judge in October 2022.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
717
Completions per year
3,584 total
53%
Detained at decision
share of cases
5.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
16.8%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
10.9%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
13.8%
Appeals remanded or reversed
65 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.
41.4%
Bond requests granted
58 bond decisions Moderate
$5,000
Median bond when set
23 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 41.4%
Court average 24% · 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
12.6%
523 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.5%
887 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
7.3%⚠
41 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
1 decision Too few cases
Voluntary departure
90.4%
157 decisions Moderate
12.6%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 523 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
12.6%
This court
14.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 25% 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 · 400 decisions since 2021
14.2%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 123 decisions since 2021
7.3%
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.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
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).