The Honorable Immigration Judge Kristofer R McDonald

Los Angeles — West, CA Immigration Court
Appointed November 2024 · President Joe Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland
1 year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration

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Dial 1-415-527-5035Access code: 2825 661 3079Telephonic access
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.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
479
Completions per year
2,876 total
5%
Detained at decision
share of cases
23.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
37%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
18.7%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 12 appeals — too few

Grant rates by type of relief

Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
17.5% 703 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
1.2% 1,115 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
28.6% 7 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
60% 5 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
85.2% 61 decisions Moderate
17.5%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 703 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
17.5%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 35% 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 · 646 decisions since 2021
17.8%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 57 decisions since 2021
14%

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.
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%2015: 0% of 1 decisions0%20152016: 0% of 1 decisions0%20162018: 0% of 1 decisions0%20182019: 0% of 1 decisions0%20192023: 0% of 8 decisions0%20232024: 30.8% of 13 decisions30.8%20242025: 30.3% of 337 decisions30.3%20252026 (partial year): 4.9% of 345 decisions4.9%2026*
* 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).
Los Angeles, CA · home court
2,696 (94%)
49 (1.7%)
46 (1.6%)
18 (0.63%)
7 (0.24%)
6 (0.21%)