The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 9.3% historical asylum grant rate for Melissa Beth Karlen at Phoenix, AZ, based on 319 grants and 3,129 denials (3,448 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Melissa Beth Karlen with Phoenix, AZ. With an asylum approval rate of 9.3%, this judge is below average compared to the national average. Data sourced from EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review). Historical listings do not by themselves establish a current assignment.
Community Discussion
DATAAsylumTracker Data
Judge Karlen (Phoenix, AZ) data snapshot: Romania vs Guatemala grant rates differ 21×, overall rate fell from 15% to 4% in 3 years
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge Karlen, Melissa Beth (IJ code MBK, Phoenix, AZ):
Overall track record
9 years on the bench (since 2018), 3,763 cases total, lifetime grant rate 10.7%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 3,100 cases, grant rate 9.0% — roughly in line with the Phoenix court average (7.2%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Mexico 1359 10.0%
Cuba 445 7.5%
Guatemala 348 0.9%
Venezuela 270 8.2%
Honduras 165 2.6%
Nicaragua 109 11.1%
Colombia 99 7.5%
Romania 42 20.0%
El Salvador 36 6.2%
Peru 31 6.7%
Ecuador 28 4.5%
Romania applicants see a 20.0% grant rate versus 0.9% for Guatemala applicants — a 21.1× gap on this judge's docket.
Year-by-year
2023: 504 cases, 14.6% grant rate
2024: 789 cases, 12.0% grant rate
2025: 863 cases, 9.6% grant rate
2026: 944 cases, 3.7% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge Karlen, I'd love to hear:
1. What's your nationality, and when was your most recent hearing?
2. How did your attorney prepare for this judge specifically?
Source: EOIR (U.S. Executive Office for Immigration Review) public statistics, July 2026 release, compiled by AsylumTracker. A judge's historical pattern does not predict the outcome of any individual case; this is shared to help set realistic expectations. Real-experience accounts from the community are welcome.
Have experience with this judge? Open AsylumTracker to reply or read more responses from the community.
How to Interpret These Judge Statistics
Melissa Beth Karlen is listed with the Phoenix, AZ Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 9.3% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Mexico (1,735 decided, 10.3% grant rate), Guatemala (459 decided, 1.1% grant rate), and Venezuela (340 decided, 6.2% grant rate). Compare these rows with the judge's overall rate because nationality mix can materially change how the headline number should be read.
Grant rate is calculated as granted / (granted + denied). Other procedural outcomes, including terminated, withdrawn, administratively closed, or removed cases, are tracked separately where available and are not treated as asylum grants.
This page is based on public EOIR data last updated 2026-09-01. It is for research and information only, not legal advice.
What is Judge Melissa Beth Karlen's asylum grant rate?
Judge Melissa Beth Karlen granted asylum in 9.3% of 3,448 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Melissa Beth Karlen grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (9.3%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at Phoenix, AZ grants 9.2%. It is a historical average, not a prediction for any one case.
How is this grant rate calculated?
Grants divided by grants plus denials. Terminations, withdrawals and administrative closures are not counted.
