The 2026-09-01 snapshot lists a 6.6% historical asylum grant rate for Kristofer R. McDonald at West Los Angeles, CA, based on 148 grants and 2,078 denials (2,226 decided outcomes).
The 2026-09-01 EOIR snapshot lists Kristofer R. McDonald with West Los Angeles, CA. With an asylum approval rate of 6.6%, 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 McDonald (West Los Angeles, CA) data snapshot: 2,116 cases over 31 years, 7.2% grant rate
A few numbers worth knowing if you have a hearing in front of Judge McDonald, Kristofer R. (IJ code KRM, West Los Angeles, CA):
Overall track record
31 years on the bench (since 1996), 2,116 cases total, lifetime grant rate 7.2%
Last 3 years (2023–2026): 2,020 cases, grant rate 7.3% — 5.8pp below the West Los Angeles court average (13.1%)
Nationality breakdown (2023–2026 cumulative)
Nationality / Cases / Grant rate
Guatemala 374 1.5%
Mexico 358 1.3%
Colombia 219 0.0%
El Salvador 199 0.6%
Nicaragua 183 10.1%
Honduras 174 1.3%
Peru 84 1.3%
Venezuela 74 8.5%
Russia 57 57.4%
China 56 48.0%
Ecuador 48 0.0%
Year-by-year
2023: 3 cases, 0.0% grant rate
2024: 8 cases, 0.0% grant rate
2025: 990 cases, 11.7% grant rate
2026: 1019 cases, 3.1% grant rate
If you've appeared before Judge McDonald, 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, May 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
Kristofer R. McDonald is listed with the West Los Angeles, CA Immigration Court. The headline asylum grant rate shown here is 6.6% based on granted and denied asylum decisions represented in the current dataset.
Among the largest nationality groups shown for this judge, the table highlights Guatemala (393 decided, 1.3% grant rate), Mexico (372 decided, 1.3% grant rate), and Colombia (244 decided, 0.0% 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 Kristofer R. McDonald's asylum grant rate?
Judge Kristofer R. McDonald granted asylum in 6.6% of 2,226 decided cases (grants plus denials), according to EOIR data.
Does Judge Kristofer R. McDonald grant asylum more or less often than other judges?
The rate (6.6%) is below the 16.6% national rate; the median judge at West Los Angeles, CA grants 25.9%. 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.
