Jacqueline Becerra

United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida district Appointed by Joe Biden (Democratic) 33 signed orders read

How Judge Becerra decides

Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.

What persuades

For immigration detainees already present in the United States, treats 8 U.S.C. 1226(a) as the governing framework and orders an individualized bond hearing or release, including after the Eleventh Circuit's Hernandez Alvarez decision.

“Petitioner falls under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), and accordingly, Respondents shall promptly afford Petitioner an individualized bond hearing consistent with 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) within seven days of this Order or otherwise release Petitioner.”

Cautions

A post-removal detention challenge filed before six months have elapsed is premature under Zadvydas, and the petitioner must also show no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future.

“the first prong is not met given that Petitioner had been in custody for less than six months when he filed the Petition. ... Petitioner's claim still fails because the Petitioner has failed to show that there is no significant likelihood of removal in the reasonably foreseeable future”

Signed rulings

A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.

Montano v. Washington State Department of Health
1:23-cv-23903-JB · 2024-06-17
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“Defendants' Motions to Dismiss, ECF Nos. [25], [34], [39], [55], [58], are GRANTED and the Complaint, ECF No. [1], is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. ... Plaintiff may file an amended complaint that complies with the requirements set forth in the Report by July 8, 2024.”

Smart City Capital, LLC v. Digital Infrastructure Group, Inc.
0:23-cv-61523-JB · 2024-06-26
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Denied

“Defendants' Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. [99], is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE to permit limited jurisdictional discovery to proceed. ... Defendants may file a renewed motion to dismiss according to the established briefing schedule, if they so choose.”

Professional Kitchen Installer Group, Inc. v. Colon
0:23-cv-61617-JB · 2025-08-13
Summary judgment (plaintiff) Denied

“The Report, ECF No. [68], is AFFIRMED AND ADOPTED. ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. [56], is DENIED.”

Mid-Castle Development Limited v. Liqueous LP
1:24-cv-20511-JB · 2025-03-26
Motion to compel arbitration (defendant) Denied

“the Court lacks jurisdiction to enforce the Settlement Agreement and Defendant's Motion to Compel Arbitration is therefore DENIED. ... Defendants' Motion to Compel Arbitration, ECF No. [31], is DENIED.”

Preliminary injunction (plaintiff) Moot / procedural

“Plaintiff's Motion for Contempt and Request for a Preliminary Injunction, ECF No. [34], is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE and Plaintiff may file a renewed motion if the parties have not already resolved their dispute, whether through arbitration or otherwise.”

Hoglan v. M/Y Bluefins (in rem)
1:24-cv-21628-JB · 2025-09-11
Motion for alternative service (plaintiff) Granted in part

“Plaintiffs' Expedited Motion to Authorize Alternative Service, ECF No. [24], is GRANTED IN PART AND DEFERRED IN PART as set forth herein.”

Andrade v. Warden, Federal Bureau of Prisons
1:26-cv-22421-JB · 2026-05-01
Habeas petition (petitioner) Granted in part

“Petitioner Angelo Gallardo Andrade's Verified Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, ECF No. [1], is GRANTED IN PART. The Court has determined that Petitioner falls under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a), and accordingly, Respondents shall promptly afford Petitioner an individualized bond hearing consistent with 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) or otherwise release Petitioner.”

Plain v. Saul (Commissioner of Social Security)
1:20-cv-20624-JLK · 2021-02-18
Social security appeal (claimant) Denied

“Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra's January 29, 2021 Report and Recommendation (DE 23) be, and the same is, hereby AFFIRMED and ADOPTED as an Order of this Court; ... Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 21) is hereby GRANTED; ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 19) is hereby DENIED”

Viotes v. Saul (Commissioner of Social Security)
1:19-cv-24223-JLK · 2021-02-18
Social security appeal (claimant) Granted

“Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra's January 18, 2021 Report and Recommendation (DE 28) be, and the same is, hereby AFFIRMED and ADOPTED as an Order of this Court; ... Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 23) is hereby DENIED; ... Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgment (DE 21) is hereby GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART; ... The above-styled action is hereby REMANDED to the Social Security Commissioner for further proceedings consistent with this opinion”

Lifecell IP Holdings, LLC v. Cosmedique, LLC
0:19-cv-60978-RAR · 2021-07-19
Summary judgment (defendant) Denied

“Borodin's Motion [ECF No. 202] is DENIED.”

Summary judgment Granted in part

“SBSC's, Lifecell's, and Suarez's Joint Motion [ECF No. 204] is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as follows: a. GRANTED as to Counts I, II, and III of Defendants'/Counter-Plaintiffs' Second Amended Counterclaim ... b. GRANTED as to Counts I and II of Defendants'/Counter-Plaintiffs' Third-Party Complaint Against Suarez ... and c. DENIED as to Count II of Lifecell and SBSC's Amended Complaint”

Rubis Caribbean Holdings, Inc. v. BE Tag Holdings Limited
1:15-cv-24369-JLK · 2023-02-28
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Moot / procedural

“Respondents' Motions to Dismiss, (DEs 87, 108), is hereby DENIED AS MOOT.”

Lanza (Estate of Sanchez) v. City of Miami
1:24-cv-22962-JB/Torres · 2025-02-26
Motions to dismiss (defendant) Granted

“Defendant City of Miami's Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. [9], is GRANTED and Plaintiff's Complaint, ECF No. [1], is DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE. If Plaintiff intends to file an amended complaint to cure the deficiencies identified in the Report, he must do so no later than March 12, 2025.”

Jenkins v. The GEO Group, Inc.
1:20-cv-24608-JEM · 2021-05-28

District Judge Jose E. Martinez's order overruling a pro se plaintiff's objections and adopting Magistrate Judge Becerra's Report and Recommendation that a Section 1915(e) in forma pauperis screening complaint be dismissed. An IFP screening dismissal, not an ordinary contested motion to dismiss, so it is excluded from the dispositive-motion count; included here only as background on her magistrate-era screening practice.

Put Judge Becerra's record to work

Ezel drafts and answers grounded in this exact profile: how Judge Becerra actually rules, not a generic AI guess.

Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer is grounded in Judge Becerra's own signed orders and cites them.