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 Robert B.C. Mcseveney earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from Seattle University and a Juris Doctor in 1984 from the University of Puget Sound Law School. He served as a deputy prosecuting attorney and assistant city attorney for Bellevue, Washington (1985-1988), entered private practice (1988-1994), and was a municipal court judge for the City of Kent, Washington (1994-2011). He served as an Immigration Judge in San Diego (2011-2017) and as a Chelan County Superior Court judge (2018) before his appointment to the Seattle Immigration Court in November 2018. He is a member of the Washington State Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
798
Completions per year
4,789 total
2.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
17.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
16.5%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
29.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
14.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
1,155 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
33.4%
2,139 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
5%
3,091 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
63.6%
55 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
33.3%⚠
6 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
75%⚠
16 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
86.8%
76 decisions Moderate
33.4%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 2,139 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
33.4%
This court
23.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 39% 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 · 1,524 decisions since 2021
45.6%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 615 decisions since 2021
3.1%
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).