Judge Michelle Kahan
How is this compared?
This judge: 55 of 2,057 (2.7 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 578 of 10,440 (5.5 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".
Decisions over 12 months
In plain words
Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 3 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
7 of every 10 cases were decided in absentia, without the person at the hearing. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.
With an attorney, 7 of every 100 got relief; without one, 0 of every 100 (6.8 % and 0.0 %).
Of their 2,057 decisions, 55 ended with relief, 280 with the case closed, 46 with voluntary departure and 1,676 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 55 | 2.7 % |
| Case closed | 280 | 13.6 % |
| Voluntary departure | 46 | 2.2 % |
| Removal order | 1,676 | 81.5 % |
| Decided in absentia | 1,419 | 69.0 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Michelle Kahan, the share of cases with relief is 2.7 %: lower than at the Boston court (5.0 %) and similar than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Michelle Kahan, the share of removal orders is 81.5 %: higher than at the Boston court (73.7 %) and higher than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Michelle Kahan, the share of cases decided in absentia is 69.0 %: higher than at the Boston court (49.6 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Michelle Kahan, the share of people with an attorney is 39.4 %: lower than at the Boston court (48.3 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Michelle Kahan take less time than at the Boston court: a median of 1,134 days versus 1,237.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 7 of 12 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 1 of 12 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 2 of 12 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 58 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Jul 2026 (325 decisions) and the quietest Nov 2025 (80).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 136 | 15 | 71 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 132 | 5 | 70 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 80 | 3 | 45 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 135 | 4 | 80 | up |
| Jan 2026 | 242 | 9 | 173 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 124 | 3 | 62 | down |
| Mar 2026 | 114 | 4 | 53 | down |
| Apr 2026 | 106 | 0 | 71 | down |
| May 2026 | 184 | 3 | 126 | up |
| Jun 2026 | 200 | 4 | 142 | up |
| Jul 2026 | 325 | 4 | 285 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 279 | 1 | 241 | down |
Months with fewer than 5 decisions are dotted: with so few cases, that month's percentage says little.
By nationality
The nationality with the most decisions before Michelle Kahan is Brazil (749), followed by Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti and Dominican Republic. The highest share with relief was for people from Guatemala (3.7 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 749 | 1.7 % | 66.9 % |
| Colombia | 218 | 1.4 % | 71.1 % |
| Guatemala | 191 | 3.7 % | 70.2 % |
| Haiti | 171 | 0.6 % | 81.3 % |
| Dominican Republic | 162 | 0.0 % | 87.6 % |
Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.
With and without an attorney
| Decisions | Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| With an attorney | 810 | 6.8 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,247 | 0.0 % |
Where this judge decides
- Boston Immigration Court: 2,051 decisions (99.7 %)
- Chelmsford Immigration Court: 4 decisions (0.2 %)
- Newark Immigration Court: 2 decisions (0.1 %)