The Honorable Immigration Judge Ferdinand J Ortiz
Otay Mesa, CA Immigration Court
Appointed February 2026 · President Donald Trump → Attorney General Pamela Bondi
Less than a year on the immigration bench
Appointed under a Republican administration
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Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Ferdinand J Ortiz earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2002 from the University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor in 2006 from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Most recently, he served as an assistant attorney general with Washington State's Office of the Attorney General from 2021 to 2026, and previously worked as a military attorney in the U.S. Army Medical Command, lead attorney at the Office of Soldiers' Counsel, and judge advocate in the U.S. Army. He holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.
Caseload & process (since 2021)
152
Completions per year
152 total
69.1%
Detained at decision
share of cases
7 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
0%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
24.3%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
—
Appeals remanded or reversed
only 2 appeals — too few
Bond decisions
Custody redetermination (bond) rulings since 2021.
"Granted" means the judge lowered the bond, ordered release on recognizance, or otherwise granted the request.
0%⚠
Bond requests granted
1 bond decision Too few cases
$1,500
Median bond when set
1 bonds with amounts
—
Released on own recognizance
This judge 0%
Court average 60.8% · median $5,000
National 41.9% · median $6,500
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
| Asylum | |
35% |
60 decisions Moderate |
| Withholding / CAT | |
53.3% |
107 decisions Moderate |
| Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR) | |
22.2%⚠ |
9 decisions Too few cases |
| Cancellation — 42A (LPR) | |
100%⚠ |
1 decision Too few cases |
| Adjustment of status (245) | |
75%⚠ |
4 decisions Too few cases |
| Voluntary departure | |
100%⚠ |
20 decisions Too few cases |
35%
of asylum claims granted on the merits Moderate
Based on 60 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
0%100% granted
In the top 36% of the 825 judges nationally with enough cases to compare.
Does a lawyer matter here?
Asylum grant rate by whether the person had legal representation.
With a lawyerrepresented · 55 decisions since 2021
Without a lawyer⚠unrepresented · 5 decisions since 2021
Courts where this judge has decided cases
Hearing locations for cases this judge completed since 2021, by number of decisions.
Many judges hear cases from more than one court (detained facilities, video dockets, or reassignments).