John W. Cortes

Immigration Judge, Phoenix Immigration Court. Appointed March 2019 by Matthew Whitaker.

StrictDenies far more often than the national average+25.0 points

Asylum record, FY 2021-2026

Judge Cortes87.9%

Phoenix court85.0%

All judges nationally62.9%

Decisions on the merits: 1,313
Asylum granted: 143
Other relief granted: 16
Denied: 1,154
Against own court: +2.9 pts

Denial rate by fiscal year
FY23	FY24	FY25	FY26
79%	70%	91%	98%

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

Docket

Respondents represented by counsel: 79% (nationally, 81% are represented).

Most common nationalities: Mexico (35.3%), Guatemala (14.5%), Venezuela (11.9%), Cuba (7.9%), Honduras (7%).

Official biography

Then-Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker appointed John W. Cortes to begin hearingcases in March 2019. Judge Cortes ear ned a Bachelor of Arts in 1999 from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College and a Juris Doctor in 2002 at the New York Law School. From2003 to 2018, he served as an assistant district attorney for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office, and from 2013 to 2018, he served as a principal assistant district attorney for the same court. Judge Cortes is a member of the State Bar of Arizona and New York State 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 Phoenix

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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.