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 Shana W Chen earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1998 from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor in 2001 from the Georgetown University Law Center. From 2006 to 2019 she served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of New Jersey, and from 2004 to 2005 as a judicial law clerk in the Southern District of New York. From 2001 to 2004 she worked as a litigation associate at McDermott, Will & Emery and at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle in New York. She is a member of the New Jersey and New York State Bars.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
2,991
Completions per year
17,947 total
18.7%
Detained at decision
share of cases
26.6 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
21.4%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.1%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.2%
Appeals remanded or reversed
224 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.
48.6%
Bond requests granted
531 bond decisions High confidence
$12,000
Median bond when set
192 bonds with amounts
0%
Released on own recognizance
This judge 48.6%
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
8.9%
900 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
3.5%
1,464 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
31.2%
186 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
80%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
79.2%⚠
48 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
91.1%
967 decisions High confidence
8.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 900 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
8.9%
This court
19.9%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 16% 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 · 848 decisions since 2021
9.3%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 52 decisions since 2021
1.9%
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).