Matthew C. Beese

Immigration Judge, Chicago Immigration Court. Appointed October 2025.

StrictDenies far more often than the national average+22.9 points

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

Judge Beese85.8%

Chicago court49.0%

All judges nationally62.9%

Decisions on the merits: 148
Asylum granted: 11
Other relief granted: 10
Denied: 127
Against own court: +36.8 pts

Denial rate by fiscal year
FY26
86%

Read from TRAC's chart to the nearest point. Years with fewer than 25 decisions are not shown.

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 60% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Venezuela (25.7%), Mexico (15.5%), Colombia (11.5%), Russia (6.8%), Ecuador (5.4%).

Official biography

Matthew Charles Beese was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in October 2025. Judge Beese ear ned an Associate of Arts in 1992 from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1996 from Missouri Southern State College, and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from Northern Illinois University College of Law. From 2022 to 2025, he served as an administrative law judge with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. From 2018 to 2022, he served as the municipal judge for the Town of Okay, Oklahoma. From 2010 to 2022, he served as deputy city attorney for Muskogee, Oklahoma. Judge Beese is a member of the Oklahoma Bar.

As published by the Executive Office for Immigration Review at appointment, via TRAC.

In the record

No published reporting or appellate decisions naming this judge have been collected yet.

Other judges at Chicago

Court page →

About these figures. Denial rates describe outcomes in the cases a judge happened to hear, which differ by detention, nationality and representation. They are not a measure of fairness or competence. Method and sources are on the judges index.