Judge Steven M. Kirchner
How is this compared?
This judge: 78 of 2,139 (3.7 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 148 of 11,630 (1.3 %). 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, 4 got relief. The vast majority end without relief.
5 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, 1 of every 100 (6.6 % and 1.1 %).
Of their 2,139 decisions, 78 ended with relief, 399 with the case closed, 106 with voluntary departure and 1,556 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 78 | 3.7 % |
| Case closed | 399 | 18.7 % |
| Voluntary departure | 106 | 5.0 % |
| Removal order | 1,556 | 72.7 % |
| Decided in absentia | 1,022 | 47.8 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Steven M. Kirchner, the share of cases with relief is 3.7 %: higher than at the Concord court (1.3 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Steven M. Kirchner, the share of removal orders is 72.7 %: lower than at the Concord court (92.6 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Steven M. Kirchner, the share of cases decided in absentia is 47.8 %: lower than at the Concord court (69.9 %) and higher than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Steven M. Kirchner, the share of people with an attorney is 46.9 %: higher than at the Concord court (32.9 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Steven M. Kirchner take longer than at the Concord court: a median of 949 days versus 830.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 8 of 22 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 16 of 22 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 18 of 22 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 67 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Mar 2026 (532 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (60).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 60 | 10 | 14 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 82 | 13 | 29 | up |
| Nov 2025 | 77 | 5 | 42 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 69 | 8 | 18 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 85 | 0 | 30 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 175 | 4 | 76 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 532 | 14 | 377 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 271 | 0 | 118 | down |
| May 2026 | 182 | 1 | 88 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 169 | 10 | 49 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 236 | 0 | 99 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 201 | 13 | 82 | 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 Steven M. Kirchner is Mexico (526), followed by Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (5.7 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 526 | 5.7 % | 55.7 % |
| Colombia | 457 | 2.6 % | 49.0 % |
| Guatemala | 258 | 3.1 % | 33.7 % |
| El Salvador | 148 | 0.7 % | 27.7 % |
| Nicaragua | 143 | 0.0 % | 77.6 % |
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 | 1,003 | 6.6 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,136 | 1.1 % |
Where this judge decides
- Concord Immigration Court: 138 decisions (6.5 %)