Appointed October 2010 · President Barack Obama→ Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
15 years on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Democratic administration
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Stuart F Karden earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1973 from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor in 1976 from the University of Miami School of Law. Before his appointment, he practiced immigration law in Palm Beach County, Florida (1995-2009) and in Dallas, Texas (2009-2010). He is a past chair of the Florida Bar Immigration Certification Committee, a past president of the South Florida chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and a member of the Florida Bar.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,001
Completions per year
6,005 total
1.8%
Detained at decision
share of cases
32.2 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
7%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
2.2%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
4.5%
Appeals remanded or reversed
22 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
34%
197 decisions Moderate
Withholding / CAT
10.6%
246 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
79.2%⚠
48 decisions Too few cases
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
100%⚠
5 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
95.9%⚠
49 decisions Too few cases
Voluntary departure
100%⚠
22 decisions Too few cases
34%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 197 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
34%
This court
22.4%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the top 38% 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 · 172 decisions since 2021
35.5%
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 25 decisions since 2021
24%
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).