Houston - Smith Street Immigration Court (2024)

• Court Announcements
• About the Court
• Contact the Court
• Immigration Court Procedures
• Helpful Links

Court Announcements

• Internet-Based Hearings Access Information
• Operational Status Information
• Administrative Control List
• More Court Information

About the Court

TheHouston - Smith Street 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

Effective February28, 2022, the location at 1801 Smith Street is not holding hearings. Filings will be accepted on the 14th floor of the Mickey Leland Federal Building, where hearings scheduled for that location will continue. Parties with cases assigned to the 1801 Smith Street location will receive updated hearing notices.

Mickey Leland Federal Building
1919 Smith Street, 14th Floor
Houston, TX 77002

Hours

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Phone

• 1919 Smith Street, 6^thfloor: 713-751-1514
• 1919 Smith Street, 14^thfloor: 713-751-1500

The immigration court does not accept faxes, unless immigration court staff or the immigration judge specifically requests one. Unauthorized transmissions are not made part of the record and are discarded without consideration of the document or notice to the sender. Further, the only electronic submissions permitted are EOIR-28 forms, unless such transmission is specifically requested. Immigration Court Practice Manual, 3.1(a)(vii).

Parking/Transit

Public parking is available for a fee.

Building Access and Security Screening Process

1919 Smith Street:The lobby is located at the street-level. All visitors must pass through security prior to continuing on to the elevators. There are two elevator banks. One set of elevators will take visitors to the 6^thfloor and the other set will take visitors to the 14^thfloor.

Security information: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. Food and drinks are not allowed. Visitors must not bring any cameras, video or recording equipment.

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

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.