IMMIGRATION COURT
San Francisco, California
About the Court | Immigration Court Staff | Immigration Court Procedures | Helpful Links
The San Francisco 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.
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:
- San Francisco USCIS Asylum Office
- San Francisco USCIS field office
- San Francisco ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Office
- San Francisco 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 Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs (OCLA):
Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs
5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1902
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-305-0289 (phone)
703-605-0365 (fax)
PAO.EOIR@usdoj.gov
ABOUT THE COURT
(1) San Francisco Immigration Court (non-detained):
100 Montgomery Street, Suite 800
San Francisco, CA 94104
Please see Google Maps for a map and directions to the immigration court.
Hours:
Public Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Window Filing Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Phone:
415-705-4415
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:
Due to very limited street parking, we recommend that immigration court visitors use public transportation to come to immigration court. The immigration court is located in the financial downtown district near the Montgomery BART station and close to several bus stops on the Muni line. You can also take CalTrain to the San Francisco stop.
https://www.sfmta.com/
https://www.bart.gov/
http://www.caltrain.com/
Building Access and Security Screening Process:
Lobby Entrance
All visitors are required to check in and sign-in with the lobby attendant. Immigration court visitors and attorneys must not remain in the lobby area or near the entrance doors of the building, as it is a violation of the building policy. If you must meet your client(s) prior to the scheduled immigration court hearing, please designate an alternate location near the immigration court to meet your client.
Security Procedures
All visitors to the immigration court must undergo a security screening through a metal detector machine as well as a handbag screening each time they visit the immigration court. Shoes may be required to be removed, if needed.
Visitors must not bring any cameras, video or recording equipment.
(2) San Francisco Immigration Court (detained):
630 Sansome Street, 4th Floor, Room 475
San Francisco, CA 94104
Please see Google Maps for a map and directions to the immigration court.
Hours:
Public Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Window Filing Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.; 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Phone:
415-705-1033
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:
Due to very limited street parking, we recommend that immigration court visitors use public transportation to come to immigration court. The immigration court is located in the financial downtown district near the Montgomery or Embarcadero BART stations and close to several bus stops on the Muni line. You can also take CalTrain to the San Francisco stop.
https://www.sfmta.com/
https://www.bart.gov/
http://www.caltrain.com/
Building Access and Security Screening Process:
Lobby Entrance
All visitors are required to check in and sign-in with the lobby attendant. Immigration court visitors and attorneys must not remain in the lobby area or near the entrance doors of the building, as it is a violation of the building policy. If you must meet your client(s) prior to the scheduled immigration court hearing, please designate an alternate location near the immigration court to meet your client.
Security Procedures
All visitors to the immigration court must undergo a security screening through a metal detector machine as well as a handbag screening each time they visit the immigration court. Shoes may be required to be removed, if needed.
Visitors must not bring any cameras, video or recording equipment.
IMMIGRATION COURT STAFF
Immigration Judges:
|
Victoria L. Argumedo |
Julie L. Nelson |
|
Valerie A. Burch |
Robin K. Paulino |
|
Ila C. Deiss |
Laura L. Ramirez |
| Loreto Geisse | Patrick S. Savage |
|
Charles S. Greene, III |
Scott Simpson |
|
Stephen Griswold (ACIJ) |
Arwen A. Swink |
|
Miriam R. Hayward |
Elizabeth L. Young |
|
Amy Hoogasian (ACIJ) |
|
| Joren Lyons |
|
| Print Maggard (DCIJ) |
|
| Dana Leigh Marks |
|
Court Administrator:
Maria Jauregui
IMMIGRATION COURT PROCEDURES
For information regarding procedures for practice before the immigration courts, please review the Immigration Court Practice Manual.
HELPFUL LINKS
- 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 aliens in immigration court. More information is available at the following link: eRegistry Notice (San Francisco).
- 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 documents:
- EOIR Notice, “Do Not Be a Victim of Immigration Fraud: ‘Notarios,’ Visa Consultants, and Immigration Consultants are NOT Attorneys – They CANNOT Represent You in Immigration Court” (July 22, 2009).
- 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.