Source: EOIR — Find an Immigration Court.
Recording an internet-based hearing is prohibited (8 C.F.R. § 1003.28). Respondents without a representative default to in-person hearings.
Background
The Honorable Immigration Judge Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1983 from Georgetown University, a Master of Business Administration in 1987 from Florida International University, and a Juris Doctor in 1990 from Boston College Law School. Before her appointment, she was managing attorney at the Law Office of Lourdes Martinez-Esquivel (1997-2009), engaged in private practice in Miami (1992-1997), and served as a judicial law clerk and attorney-advisor at the Miami Immigration Court (1990-1992).
Caseload & process (since 2021)
1,770
Completions per year
10,622 total
2%
Detained at decision
share of cases
24.9 mo
Median time to decision
from case start
15.1%
Ordered removed in absentia
person absent
5.4%
Decisions appealed to BIA
appeal rate
6.7%
Appeals remanded or reversed
105 appeals decided
Grant rates by type of relief
Share granted among merits decisions for each application type, since 2021.
Asylum
7.9%
431 decisions High confidence
Withholding / CAT
2.4%
735 decisions High confidence
Cancellation — 42B (non-LPR)
36.1%
147 decisions Moderate
Cancellation — 42A (LPR)
56.2%⚠
16 decisions Too few cases
Adjustment of status (245)
67.6%
148 decisions Moderate
Voluntary departure
97.4%
115 decisions Moderate
7.9%
of asylum claims granted on the merits High confidence
Based on 431 asylum decisions (grants + denials) since 2021.
This judge
7.9%
This court
20.2%
National average
31.8%
0%100% granted
In the bottom 13% 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 · 363 decisions since 2021
8.5%
Without a lawyerunrepresented · 68 decisions since 2021
4.4%
Asylum grant rate over time
Each point is that calendar year's grant rate, back to 2015 where the judge was deciding cases — the longer career view. Dashed grey line = current national average (31.8%). Headline rates above use 2021 – today.
* 2026 is a partial year (data through 06/01/2026) and is incomplete.
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).