Judge Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel
How is this compared?
This judge: 47 of 1,638 (2.9 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 368 of 42,160 (0.9 %). 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.
4 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 (7.2 % and 0.2 %).
Of their 1,638 decisions, 47 ended with relief, 544 with the case closed, 58 with voluntary departure and 989 with a removal order.
| Outcome | Decisions | % |
|---|---|---|
| Relief | 47 | 2.9 % |
| Case closed | 544 | 33.2 % |
| Voluntary departure | 58 | 3.5 % |
| Removal order | 989 | 60.4 % |
| Decided in absentia | 680 | 41.5 % |
This judge, the court and the nation
With Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel, the share of cases with relief is 2.9 %: higher than at the Miami court (1.0 %) and similar than nationwide (2.4 %).
With Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel, the share of removal orders is 60.4 %: higher than at the Miami court (54.7 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).
With Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel, the share of cases decided in absentia is 41.5 %: higher than at the Miami court (38.0 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).
With Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel, the share of people with an attorney is 38.3 %: higher than at the Miami court (31.4 %) and similar than nationwide (38.1 %).
Cases with Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel take longer than at the Miami court: a median of 989 days versus 818.
Compared with other judges
- Ranked 2 of 33 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
- Ranked 14 of 33 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
- Ranked 26 of 33 for speed (1 = fastest).
- Grants relief more often than 60 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).
Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
The busiest month was Apr 2026 (230 decisions) and the quietest Dec 2025 (58).
| Month | Decisions | Relief | In absentia | Vs. prior month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 115 | 4 | 64 | — |
| Oct 2025 | 104 | 2 | 56 | down |
| Nov 2025 | 79 | 3 | 42 | down |
| Dec 2025 | 58 | 3 | 26 | down |
| Jan 2026 | 78 | 2 | 49 | up |
| Feb 2026 | 137 | 3 | 51 | up |
| Mar 2026 | 161 | 8 | 27 | up |
| Apr 2026 | 230 | 2 | 72 | up |
| May 2026 | 228 | 5 | 89 | down |
| Jun 2026 | 91 | 3 | 38 | down |
| Jul 2026 | 199 | 6 | 69 | up |
| Aug 2026 | 158 | 6 | 97 | 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 Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel is Cuba (552), followed by Nicaragua, Venezuela, Guatemala and Colombia. The highest share with relief was for people from Cuba (3.8 %).
| Country of origin | Decisions | Relief | In absentia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba | 552 | 3.8 % | 11.2 % |
| Nicaragua | 253 | 1.6 % | 66.8 % |
| Venezuela | 143 | 2.1 % | 56.6 % |
| Guatemala | 127 | 2.4 % | 66.1 % |
| Colombia | 125 | 2.4 % | 41.6 % |
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 | 628 | 7.2 % |
| Without an attorney | 1,010 | 0.2 % |
Where this judge decides
- Miami Immigration Court: 1,633 decisions (99.7 %)
- Miami Krome (Detained) Immigration Court: 5 decisions (0.3 %)