The Honorable Immigration Judge Kevin Jerome Chapman
Atlanta — W. Peachtree Street, GA Immigration Court
Appointed November 2023 · President Joe Biden→ Attorney General Merrick Garland
2 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Kevin Jerome Chapman earned a Bachelor of Science in 1979 from Arkansas Tech University and a Juris Doctor in 1986 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. From 2008 to 2020 he served as an immigration judge at the Orlando Immigration Court until his retirement. From 2004 to 2008 he held positions with the Executive Office for Immigration Review as deputy general counsel and acting general counsel, and from 2000 to 2004 he served as associate general counsel for the U.S. Marshals Service. From 1986 to 2000 he was a judge advocate in the U.S. Army.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
656
Completions per year
3,281 total
0.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
17.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
37.7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
7.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
60%
Appeals remanded or reversed
45 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
18.9%
249 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
7.8%
358 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
71.4%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
100%⚠
4 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
15 decisions Too few cases
18.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 249 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
18.9%
This court
10.8%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 38% 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 · 208 decisions since 2021
20.7%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 41 decisions since 2021
9.8%
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).