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 Matthew W Kaufman earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from the University of Arizona and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the Arizona State University College of Law. He worked in private practice and as an assistant attorney general in Washington State before serving as an attorney with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (2004-2006). From September 2006 to May 2015 he served as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in Tucson, Arizona. He is a member of the Arizona, California, and Washington state bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,949
Completions per year
11,694 total
6.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
11.7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
20.2%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
29.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
145 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.
61%
Bond requests granted
331 bond decisions High confidence
$10,000
Median bond when set
199 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 61%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
28.1%
274 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
8%
373 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
67.4%
89 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
66.7%⚠
9 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.4%
173 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
82.6%
213 decisions High confidence
28.1%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 274 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
28.1%
This court
36.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 48% 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 · 184 decisions since 2021
35.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 90 decisions since 2021
13.3%
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).