Philadelphia Immigration Court
Court Announcements
- Internet-Based Hearings Access Information
- Operational Status Information
- Administrative Control List
- More Court Information
Pittsburgh Hearing Location: As of April 30, 2022, EOIR is no longer hearing cases from the Philadelphia Immigration Court’s Pittsburgh hearing location.
Noncitizens and practitioners with matters before the Philadelphia Immigration Court may appear remotely from any location with an internet connection via the Webex video teleconference platform or telephonically via the OpenVoice platform. Parties may also appear in-person at the Philadelphia Immigration Court, or, alternatively, may motion the court for a change of venue to an immigration court more convenient for them.
Motions to change venue are subject to the immigration judge’s discretion, and must both identify the preferred immigration court and include a detailed explanation of the reasons for the request. Please note that the Cleveland Immigration Court specifically is prepared to accept cases that were previously assigned to the Philadelphia Immigration Court’s Pittsburgh hearing location.
About the Court
The Philadelphia Immigration Court falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is a component of the Executive Office for Immigration Review under the Department of Justice.
Contact the Court
Address
Robert Nix Federal Bldg and Courthouse
900 Market Street, Suite 504
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Hours
- Court Hours: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Window Filing Hours: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Phone Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Phone
215-717-2400
The immigration court does not accept faxes or other electronic submissions unless the transmission has been specifically requested by the immigration court staff or the immigration judge. Unauthorized transmissions are not made part of the record and are discarded without consideration of the document or notice to the sender.
Parking/Transit
Building Access and Security Screening Process
Assistant Chief Immigration Judge*
Theresa Holmes-Simmons (Acting)
Staff Assistant or Alternate POC
Chantell Gaither
704-817-6170
Court Administrator
Alterra Alicea
215-717-2345
[email protected]
Immigration Judges
- Antonio Capistrano
- Clerk: Samuel Riva
215-717-2348
- Clerk: Samuel Riva
- John B. Carle
- Clerk: Sidney Jankanish
215-717-2367
- Clerk: Sidney Jankanish
- Lauren Farber
- Clerk: Tricia Harris
215-717-2386
- Clerk: Tricia Harris
- Mary Futcher
- Clerk: MaryJoe Mathai
215-717-2365
- Clerk: MaryJoe Mathai
- Forrest Hoover, III
- Clerk: Leonel Alibizu
215-717-2364
- Clerk: Leonel Alibizu
- Dawn Kulick
- Clerk: Irene Braun
215-717-2436
- Clerk: Irene Braun
- Mary C. Lee
- Clerk: Eunice Yu
215-717-2355
- Clerk: Eunice Yu
- Joseph C. Scott
- Clerk: Jacquelyn Wright
215-717-2349
- Clerk: Jacquelyn Wright
- William McDermott
- Clerk: Denise Rodriguez
215-717-2354
- Clerk: Denise Rodriguez
Supervisory Legal Administrative Specialists
Trachelle Apson
215-717-2390
Stephanie Bach
215-717-2392
Legal Assistants
N/A
Support Services Specialist
N/A
*Backup Assistant Chief Immigration Judge: Brandon C. Jaroch
Immigration Court Procedures
For information regarding procedures for practice before the immigration courts, please review the Immigration Court Practice Manual.
Helpful Links and Information
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are therefore separate from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). For more information about those DHS offices, please see the following links:
- USCIS Asylum Office
- USCIS field office
- ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office
- ICE Office of the Chief Counsel
News Media/Congressional Inquiries
News media and congressional inquiries regarding the immigration court must be directed to the EOIR Communications and Legislative Affairs Division (CLAD):
Communications and Legislative Affairs Division
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1800
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-305-0289 (phone)
[email protected]
Holidays and Emergencies
The immigration court is open Monday to Friday except for federal holidays. The Office of Personnel Management publishes a list of the observed dates of every federal holiday by year online at this link: OPM holidays. Additionally, the court may have to unexpectedly close due to inclement weather or another emergency. When necessary, information on immigration court closures or changes to the immigration court’s operating hours is available at the following links: (1) Twitter and (2) Facebook.
eRegistry
Attorneys and accredited representatives are required to register with EOIR in order to represent respondents in immigration court. More information is available at the following link: eRegistry Validation Process.
Legal Self-Help Center
The EOIR, Office of Legal Access Programs has created numerous self-help materials with many helpful resources for respondents, including information on what to do if respondents have moved or missed a hearing.
Notarios
EOIR warns respondents about immigration fraud perpetrated by notarios who claim to provide legal assistance but are unable to represent respondents in immigration court, provide legal services, or give legal advice. For more information, please see the following document:
- Fact Sheet, “EOIR’s Programs to Fight Fraud, Abuse, and Ineffective Representation in Immigration Proceedings” (March 2016).
Appeals
Immigration court decisions are first appealable to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Instructions on how to file an appeal and the Appeals Form EOIR-26, Notice of Appeal from a Decision of an Immigration Judge, are available online in the E-26 and appeal instructions. The BIA website contains more information on the appeals process and procedure.
Virtual Law Library
The EOIR Virtual Law Library (VLL) contains many other legal resources and country conditions research resources as well as other reference materials.
Observing Court
Generally, immigration court proceedings are open to the public. An overview of when immigration court hearings might be closed as well as general guidelines for behavior when observing immigration court hearings are available at the following link: Observing Immigration Court Hearings. Note, the use of electronic devices, including audio/visual recordings of hearings and taking photographs, is prohibited in immigration court.