EOIR Immigration Judge
EOIR resources / Immigration judges / Susanna Martinez
Judge Susanna Martinez
El Paso Immigration Court · El Paso, Texas · Immigration Judge
Court Assignment
El Paso Immigration Court in El Paso, Texas is this judge's listed court assignment and serves cases associated with Texas. EOIR venue and transfer rules determine where an individual case is heard, so respondents should follow the location on their latest notice.
Immigration Judge Role and Case Types
Immigration judges are trial-level adjudicators who preside over removal proceedings. They decide whether a respondent is removable and consider applications for relief such as asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and cancellation of removal. They also hear bond matters when the court has jurisdiction. EOIR does not publish individual immigration judge decision statistics in the same way the Social Security Administration publishes Administrative Law Judge disposition statistics.
Professional Role
Susanna Martinez was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026. Judge Martinez earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Minor in Legal Reasoning in 2004 from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Juris Doctor in 2011 from the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law. From October 2025 to March 2026, she served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, in El Paso, Texas. From August 2020 to October 2025, she served as a criminal assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division, and from July 2014 to August 2020, she served as a criminal assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona, Tucson Division. From May 2013 to May 2014, she was an associate attorney in civil practice with Schneider & Onofry PC in Phoenix. From November 2011 to May 2013, she was an associate attorney in civil practice with Wade & Nysather in Phoenix. Judge Martinez is a member of the State Bar of Arizona.
Immigration judges are attorneys appointed by the Attorney General. EOIR's published qualifications call for at least seven years of post-bar-admission legal experience. Judges serve as trial-level adjudicators in the immigration court system; they are not attorneys for either side.
Immigration Process and Respondent Resources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, court procedures, and enforcement policies can change. Deadlines and options depend on your case and the notices you received. Talk with a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative about your situation.