Los Angeles guide

Los Angeles immigration courts, ICE and Adelanto: what to do

Where a Los Angeles immigration case is heard, which ICE office handles arrests and detention, how Adelanto works and what a family can do in the first days after an arrest, from official sources only.

Reviewed by Carlos Maury, former U.S. Immigration Judge. Last reviewed: October 6, 2026.

This guide is for people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties who have an immigration court case, or whose family member was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It is general information from official sources; every case is different. For the court-by-court overview and how the firm handles cases here, see our page for an immigration lawyer in Los Angeles.

The five Los Angeles-area immigration courts

Immigration courts belong to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the Department of Justice. They are separate from ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Five EOIR courts serve the Los Angeles area; all five are in the Ninth Circuit, so the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviews their cases after the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

Los Angeles-area immigration courts (EOIR addresses)
Court	Address	Cases
Los Angeles	300 North Los Angeles Street, Rm. 4330, Los Angeles, CA 90012	Non-detained cases; downtown Civic Center Federal Building
West LA	5245 Pacific Concourse Drive, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045	Non-detained cases
Van Nuys	6230 Van Nuys Blvd., 3rd Floor, Suite 300, Van Nuys, CA 91401	Non-detained cases; San Fernando Valley
Santa Ana	1241 E. Dyer Road, Suite 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705	Non-detained cases; Orange County
Adelanto	10250 Rancho Rd., STE 201A, Adelanto, CA 92301	Detained cases at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center

You do not choose the court. The Notice to Appear or the hearing notice names it, and a case can move, for example when a person is detained or released. To check the court, date and time of a case, use EOIR's Automated Case Information portal or call EOIR at 1-800-898-7180 with the nine-digit A-number; our page on how to check your immigration court date explains both. Each court page above lists the court's phone, hours and filing rules as EOIR publishes them. The wider region, including San Diego, Otay Mesa and Imperial, is on our Southern California immigration courts page.

The ICE Los Angeles Field Office

Arrests, detention and removals in the region are handled by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations through the Los Angeles Field Office. According to ICE, its area of responsibility is the Los Angeles metropolitan area (the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino) and the Central Coast (the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo). ICE lists the office at 300 North Los Angeles St., Room 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone (213) 830-7911 — the same downtown Federal Building that houses the Los Angeles Immigration Court, on a different floor and run by a different agency.

The difference matters. ICE arrests and detains people, sets the first bond amount, runs check-ins and carries out removal orders; in court, ICE's attorneys act as the government's lawyers. The immigration judge, who works for EOIR, decides whether a person can be removed, whether relief is granted and, in many cases, whether a bond should be lowered or set. Paperwork from ICE is not a court order, and a court date is not an ICE appointment. If you are unsure which agency sent a paper, a lawyer can read it with you.

Adelanto: the detention center and its court

People arrested by the Los Angeles Field Office are often held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, in San Bernardino County's high desert. ICE lists two buildings: Adelanto East, 10400 Rancho Road, and Adelanto West, 10250 Rancho Road, Adelanto, CA 92301. The Adelanto Immigration Court is inside the facility and hears the detained docket.

Information about a detainee: ICE's facility page gives (760) 561-6100, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week, including weekends and holidays.
Mail: ICE asks that letters show the detainee's name, the last four digits of the A-number and the housing unit, addressed to 10250 Rancho Road, Adelanto, CA 92301.
Court information: for a case before the immigration court, ICE's page refers families to EOIR at 1-800-898-7180. Applications for relief are filed with the immigration court, not with ICE, and EOIR accepts window filings for the Adelanto court only at Adelanto West.
Getting there: the facility has a parking lot; EOIR notes that no public transit reaches it. Check the facility page for visiting rules before you drive, because they can change.

Detained cases move much faster than cases on the non-detained docket. Our immigration detention guide covers accounts, calls, visits and transfers in more detail.

After an ICE arrest in Los Angeles: step by step

Find the person. The ICE Online Detainee Locator searches adults in ICE custody by A-number and country of birth, or by name and country of birth. Records can lag by hours, and people in Customs and Border Protection custody appear only after 48 hours, so search again if nothing shows.
Do not sign papers you do not understand. Papers offered after an arrest can include voluntary departure, which requires the person to request it and accept its terms (8 C.F.R. § 240.25(c)), or a stipulated removal order, which concedes the charges and gives up the hearing (8 C.F.R. § 1003.25(b)). The person can ask to speak to a lawyer first. Our page on your rights if ICE comes to your door explains the right to remain silent.
Know the first custody decision. Within 48 hours of an arrest without a warrant, except in an emergency, ICE decides whether to keep the person in custody or release them on bond or on their own recognizance (8 C.F.R. § 287.3(d)).
Read the Notice to Appear. It states how ICE says the person entered and the charges. By law the first hearing may not be set earlier than 10 days after the notice is served, unless the person asks in writing for an earlier date, so that there is time to find a lawyer (8 U.S.C. § 1229(b)(1)).
Ask about bond. For many people the law allows release on a bond of at least $1,500 or on conditional parole (8 U.S.C. § 1226(a)), and an immigration judge can review ICE's custody decision in a bond hearing (8 C.F.R. § 1236.1(d); 8 C.F.R. § 1003.19). Others are held under mandatory detention, for example after certain criminal convictions (8 U.S.C. § 1226(c)). The next section explains the current dispute for people who entered without inspection.
Gather documents. Identity papers, the A-number, proof of address and years in the United States, family ties, work and taxes, and any prior immigration or criminal court papers. Our bond document checklist lists what is usually asked for.
Call a lawyer early. In immigration court a person may have a lawyer of their choice "at no expense to the Government" (8 U.S.C. § 1362), so the family usually has to find one. EOIR also publishes lists of free legal service providers.

Bond for people held at Adelanto: the law as of October 2026

Whether a judge can hear a bond request depends on which detention statute applies, and that question is in the courts. In Matter of Yajure Hurtado, 29 I&N Dec. 216 (BIA 2025) (September 5, 2025), the BIA held that immigration judges lack authority to hear bond requests from people present in the United States without admission. On July 30, 2026, the Ninth Circuit, which covers Adelanto and every Los Angeles-area court, disagreed in Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock, holding that § 1226(a) applies, so a bond hearing is available. The immigration courts remain bound by Yajure Hurtado, so relief has often come through a habeas corpus petition in federal district court; Adelanto is in the Central District of California. ICE's detainee locator also carries a court-ordered notice under a February 18, 2026 order in Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 25-1873 (C.D. Cal.), about seeking release on bond or conditional parole under § 1226(a).

On October 1, 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to decide the question in Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha, No. 26-104. Until it rules, the answer can turn on the person's entry history, any prior order and where they are held. Our bond hearings guide follows these cases.

The removal case in a Los Angeles court

A removal case starts when DHS files the Notice to Appear with the court. The first hearing is a short master calendar hearing where the judge reviews the charges and asks which relief, if any, the person seeks; the merits are decided later at an individual hearing with testimony and evidence. Depending on the facts, relief can include asylum, withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or a waiver. Criminal records change the analysis, sometimes decisively: see our criminal immigration lawyer page.

A judge's decision can be appealed to the BIA, and a final order of removal can be taken to the Ninth Circuit by a petition for review filed within 30 days of the final order (8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(1)). Our immigration appeals lawyer page explains that path.

If a hearing is missed

A person who does not appear after written notice can be ordered removed in their absence (8 U.S.C. § 1229a(b)(5)). Such an order can be challenged by a motion to reopen, within 180 days if the absence was due to exceptional circumstances, or at any time if the person did not receive proper notice. Our guide to in absentia orders explains the deadlines. Check the court and date in EOIR's portal before every hearing, especially after a move.

Working with the firm in Los Angeles

The firm's office is in Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley, and meetings there are by appointment only; see the Van Nuys office details on our contact page. Carlos Maury served as a U.S. Immigration Judge in Los Angeles and is no longer on the bench; he has no influence over any judge or court, and no lawyer can promise an outcome. We handle deportation defense and immigration bond cases at all five Los Angeles-area courts, including Adelanto. To talk about a case, call (213) 769-0050 — hablamos español.

Frequently asked questions

Which immigration court will hear my case in Los Angeles?

The court named on your Notice to Appear or hearing notice: Los Angeles (downtown), West LA, Van Nuys, Santa Ana or, for detained cases, Adelanto. You can confirm the court, date and time in EOIR's Automated Case Information portal or by calling 1-800-898-7180 with your A-number.

Where is the ICE office in Los Angeles?

ICE lists its Los Angeles Field Office at 300 North Los Angeles St., Room 7631, Los Angeles, CA 90012, phone (213) 830-7911. It covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Is the ICE office the same as the immigration court?

No. ICE is part of the Department of Homeland Security and arrests, detains and removes people. The immigration court belongs to the Department of Justice and its judges decide the case. In downtown Los Angeles both are in the same Federal Building at 300 North Los Angeles Street, but they are separate agencies.

How do I find a family member arrested by ICE in Los Angeles?

Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with the A-number and country of birth, or the name and country of birth. Records can lag by hours. If the person is at Adelanto, ICE's facility page gives (760) 561-6100 for detainee information, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., seven days a week.

Where is the Adelanto detention center?

ICE lists Adelanto East at 10400 Rancho Road and Adelanto West at 10250 Rancho Road, Adelanto, CA 92301, in San Bernardino County. The Adelanto Immigration Court, which hears detained cases, is inside the facility.

Can someone detained at Adelanto get a bond?

Often, but not always. The law allows bond of at least $1,500 for many detainees, while others are under mandatory detention. For people who entered without inspection, the Board of Immigration Appeals says judges cannot hear bond, the Ninth Circuit disagreed on July 30, 2026, and the Supreme Court agreed on October 1, 2026 to decide the question. A lawyer can check which law applies.

How soon is the first hearing after an ICE arrest?

By law the first hearing may not be set earlier than 10 days after the Notice to Appear is served, unless the person asks in writing for an earlier date. Detained cases at Adelanto usually move faster than cases at the non-detained courts.

Should my relative sign the papers ICE gives them?

Not without understanding them. Papers can include voluntary departure or a stipulated removal order, which gives up the hearing before a judge. The person can ask to speak to a lawyer before signing anything.

What happens if I miss my hearing at a Los Angeles immigration court?

The judge can order you removed in your absence. The order can be challenged by a motion to reopen, within 180 days for exceptional circumstances or at any time if you did not receive proper notice. Act quickly and check your court details in EOIR's portal.

Does the firm have an office in Los Angeles County?

Yes. The firm's office is in Van Nuys, in the San Fernando Valley, and meetings there are by appointment only. Call (213) 769-0050 to set one up; the firm also represents clients in all 50 states by video.

Official sources

More guides: Asylum vs. withholding vs. CAT · Adjustment vs. consular processing · Bond vs. parole · Deportation vs. voluntary departure · If ICE comes to your door · USCIS processing times · Visa Bulletin · Am I in removal proceedings? · Asylum deadline self-check · Conviction self-check · Immigration FAQ