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 Kristi Nelson earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1992 from the University of Tulsa and a Juris Doctor in 1995 from DePaul University College of Law. From 2016 to 2023, she was a partner at Gair Eberhard Nelson Dedinas Ltd. in Chicago, and from 2006 to 2016 she was a partner at Chen Nelson Roberts Ltd. in Chicago. She also served as pro bono counsel for the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago from 1998 to 2013 and volunteered with the Dilley Pro Bono Project in 2018. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
690
Completions per year
3,452 total
3.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
11.1 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
32.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 13 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.
100%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
—
Median bond when set
100%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 100%
Court average 56.1% · median $3,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
42.4%
172 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
8.4%
166 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
2 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
85.7%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
11 decisions Too few cases
42.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 172 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
42.4%
This court
45.7%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 28% 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 · 129 decisions since 2021
46.5%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 43 decisions since 2021
30.2%
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).