Immigration judge · Otay Mesa Immigration Court (OTM)

Judge Ferdinand J. Ortiz

Last 12 months: Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 EOIR data as of Sep 1, 2026 Last decision: Jun 2026 With decisions since 2026 in the public data
More relief than the other judges in this court
How is this compared?

This judge: 58 of 122 (47.5 %) got relief (includes their cases in other courts). The other judges in the court: 254 of 2,042 (12.4 %). We say "more" or "less" only when the difference is statistically clear (two-proportion test, 95%); otherwise "similar".

Decisions over 12 months

Decisions 122 Sep 2025 – Aug 2026
Grants relief 47.5 % Court 14.0 % · Nation 2.4 %
Removal order 33.6 % Court 45.1 % · Nation 75.6 %
Decided in absentia 0.0 % Court 0.0 % · Nation 45.3 %
Had an attorney 83.6 % Court 64.2 % · Nation 38.1 %
How long cases take 7 months 199 days (median) · Court 145 days · Nation 793 days

In plain words

Out of every 100 cases this judge decided, 48 got relief. That is more than 1 in 7 cases, though every case is different.

0 of every 100 cases were decided in absentia, that is, without the person at the hearing.

There are not enough cases with and without an attorney to compare them.

Of their 122 decisions, 58 ended with relief, 0 with the case closed, 23 with voluntary departure and 41 with a removal order.

How the decisions ended
OutcomeDecisions%
Relief5847.5 %
Case closed00.0 %
Voluntary departure2318.9 %
Removal order4133.6 %
Decided in absentia00.0 %

This judge, the court and the nation

Grants relief
Removal order
Decided in absentia

With Ferdinand J. Ortiz, the share of cases with relief is 47.5 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (14.0 %) and higher than nationwide (2.4 %).

With Ferdinand J. Ortiz, the share of removal orders is 33.6 %: lower than at the Otay Mesa court (45.1 %) and lower than nationwide (75.6 %).

With Ferdinand J. Ortiz, the share of cases decided in absentia is 0.0 %: similar than at the Otay Mesa court (0.0 %) and lower than nationwide (45.3 %).

With Ferdinand J. Ortiz, the share of people with an attorney is 83.6 %: higher than at the Otay Mesa court (64.2 %) and higher than nationwide (38.1 %).

Cases with Ferdinand J. Ortiz take longer than at the Otay Mesa court: a median of 199 days versus 145.

Compared with other judges

  • Ranked 1 of 6 for relief among the judges of their court (1 = most relief).
  • Ranked 3 of 6 for cases decided in absentia (1 = most in absentia).
  • Ranked 4 of 6 for speed (1 = fastest).
  • Grants relief more often than 100 of every 100 judges nationwide (among 850 judges with 50 or more decisions).

Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)

The busiest month was May 2026 (29 decisions) and the quietest Sep 2025 (0).

Decisions per month (Sep 2025 – Aug 2026)
MonthDecisionsReliefIn absentiaVs. prior month
Sep 2025000—
Oct 2025000same
Nov 2025000same
Dec 2025000same
Jan 2026000same
Feb 20262140up
Mar 202623140up
Apr 202628170up
May 202629130up
Jun 202621100down
Jul 2026000down
Aug 2026000same

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 Ferdinand J. Ortiz is Mexico (34). The highest share with relief was for people from Mexico (23.5 %).

Country of originDecisionsReliefIn absentia
Mexico3423.5 %0.0 %

Only countries with 25 or more decisions with this judge; cases without a recorded nationality are not included.

With and without an attorney

DecisionsRelief
With an attorney10254.9 %
Without an attorneylimited data—

Where this judge decides

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Other judges at Otay Mesa Immigration Court

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Frequently asked questions

How many cases did Ferdinand J. Ortiz decide in the last 12 months?

122 decisions between Sep 2025 and Aug 2026, per EOIR data as of Sep 1, 2026.

How often does Ferdinand J. Ortiz grant relief?

In 58 of 122 decisions (47.5 %). In the court the share was 14.0 % and nationwide 2.4 %.

What does "in absentia" mean?

That the case was decided without the person at the hearing. With Ferdinand J. Ortiz it happened in 0.0 % of decisions. Going to your hearing is the most important thing you can do.

Where does this data come from?

From official EOIR case data, published in its FOIA Library. We count the immigration judge's decisions over the last 12 full months.

Sources

Not legal advice. These figures describe past decisions and do not predict your case. Talk to an immigration attorney.

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