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 Raphael Choi earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from Iowa State University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He served as an assistant chief counsel with ICE/DHS in New York (2002-2006) and as a deputy chief counsel with ICE/DHS in Arlington, Virginia (2006-2007). From 2007 to 2018, he was chief counsel for the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at ICE/DHS in Arlington, Virginia.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
600
Completions per year
3,603 total
60.6%
Detained at decision
share of cases
4.8 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
3%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
9.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
21.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
180 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.
56.2%
Bond requests granted
1,053 bond decisions High confidence
$7,000
Median bond when set
585 bonds with amounts
0.3%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 56.2%
Court average 42.9% · median $7,500
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
22%
450 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
6.7%
775 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
23.9%⚠
46 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
50%⚠
14 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
85.7%⚠
21 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
79%
372 decisions High confidence
22%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 450 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
22%
This court
32.6%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 44% 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 · 366 decisions since 2021
26%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 84 decisions since 2021
4.8%
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.
* 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).