El Paso Immigration Court
- Court Announcements
- About the Court
- Contact the Court
- Public Health
- Immigration Court Procedures
- Helpful Links
Court Announcements
- Internet-Based Hearings Access Information
- Operational Status Information
- Administrative Control List
- More Court Information
Dedicated Docket (July 19, 2021): The El Paso Immigration Court is one of the courts with a Dedicated Docket announced on May 28, 2021. For cases assigned to this Docket, immigration judges will work to issue a decision within 300 days of the initial master calendar hearing. Families may qualify if they are apprehended between ports of entry on or after Friday, May 28, 2021, placed in removal proceedings, and enrolled in Alternatives to Detention (ATD).
About the Court
The El Paso 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
700 E. San Antonio Avenue, Suite 750
El Paso, TX 79901
Hours
- Court Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Window Filing Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- The court's phones will be answered until 4 p.m.
Phone
915-534-6020
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
The El Paso Court is accessible from the El Paso Metro bus line and is within walking distance to a bus stop. There is a pay parking lot on the east side of the Federal Building and some metered parking spots around the building and nearby streets.
Building Access and Security Screening Process
There are both magnatometers and x-ray machines that visitors and employees must go through for entrance into the Federal Building at the north entrance.
Assistant Chief Immigration Judge*
Jaime Diaz - in person every other Friday
Staff Assistant or Alternate POC
Patricia Sepulveda
915-313-8709
Court Administrator
Patricia Sepulveda
915-313-8709
Patricia.m.sepulveda@usdoj.gov
Immigration Judges
- Janette L. Allen - in person
- Judith F. Bonilla - in person
- Clerk: Melissa Espino
915-313-8720
- Clerk: Melissa Espino
- Lorely Fernandez - in person
- Clerk: Minerva Fraire
915-313-8712
- Clerk: Minerva Fraire
- Sarah L. Hartnett - in person
- Nathan L. Herbert - in person every other Friday
- Clerk: Maria Cortez
915-313-8734
- Clerk: Maria Cortez
- Enrique A.Holguin - in person
- James J. Miller Jr. in person every other Friday
- Clerk: Brenda Porras
915-313-8729
- Clerk: Brenda Porras
- Adrian F. Paredes - in person
- Danny Razo - in person
- Abdias E. Tida - in person
Supervisory Legal Administrative Specialists
Rita Velez
915-313-8708
Legal Assistants
Chamekia Doublin
915-313-8722
Raquel Tovar
915-313-8701
Support Services Specialist
N/A
*Backup Assistant Chief Immigration Judge: Noelle Sharp
Public Health
Consistent with public health officials’ guidance, EOIR has implemented practices to help to protect all people working in and visiting EOIR spaces throughout the country. Please see the agency’s Public Health Notice for more information.
EOIR operates within a variety of settings across the country, most commonly in federal or leased buildings controlled by the General Services Administration and detention facilities operated by the Department of Homeland Security. All visitors to any building or facility in which an EOIR operation is located are required to comply with all relevant laws or policies governing access to those buildings or facilities. Individuals who do not comply with any relevant laws or policies may be denied access to or asked to leave the building or facility. Individuals seeking to visit any building or facility in which an EOIR operation is located are encouraged to contact the building or facility in advance to determine any relevant policies or laws related to entry.
The immigration court has put into place procedures to implement the guidance of public health officials. Please take note of the information below and be prepared to follow these and any additional instructions provided to you when you arrive for your hearing.
- Be prepared – have a mask available. Face coverings may be required in the courtroom if directed by the presiding immigration judge. As necessary and when appropriate, individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from wearing a face covering should alert the judge to their situation.
- To maintain appropriate social distancing and best facilitate hearings, you may be asked to move or leave a particular area.
- Waiting times to enter the building and EOIR space may be significantly longer than usual. Make arrangements to arrive in advance of your hearing so you arrive to the courtroom on time.
- Social distancing (maintaining a distance of six feet from those with whom you do not live) is required.
- Please remember this while choosing to enter an elevator. Elevator wait times may be significantly longer than usual for this reason.
- In EOIR space, staff or signs may direct you to a seat. If instructed to sit in a particular location, do not switch seats.
- Please do not bring people with you into EOIR space unless they are required to be present for your hearing. Remember that the immigration court may limit entry.
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)
PAO.EOIR@usdoj.gov
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.