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 Nathaniel B Walker earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from Stanford University, a Master of Arts in 1998 from Boston College, and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Boston College Law School. From 2014 to 2018, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, and from 2009 to 2014 as an assistant chief counsel with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Earlier he was an assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia (2006-2009), an associate at Howrey LLP in Washington, D.C. (2003-2006), and a judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (2002-2003). He is a member of the California, Virginia, and District of Columbia Bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
827
Completions per year
4,961 total
5.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
10.3 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
36.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
9.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
10.6%
Appeals remanded or reversed
94 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.
45.5%
Bond requests granted
88 bond decisions Moderate
$10,000
Median bond when set
51 bonds with amounts
2.5%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 45.5%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
22.3%
627 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.1%
844 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
0%⚠
18 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
75%⚠
8 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
57.1%⚠
7 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
30.5%
141 decisions Moderate
22.3%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 627 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
22.3%
This court
19.1%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 45% 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 · 561 decisions since 2021
23.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 66 decisions since 2021
12.1%
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).