EOIR Names 18 New Judges to Houston's Three Immigration Courts
Immigration courts: Gessner Immigration Court, Greenspoint Immigration Court, Houston Immigration Court · Houston Area Immigration Courts
On September 24, 2026, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced that Veronika N. Rabon was appointed an immigration judge at the Houston – S. Gessner Road Immigration Court, to begin hearing cases in September 2026. She is the latest of 18 new judges that EOIR assigned to Houston's three immigration courts between October 2025 and September 2026: 13 immigration judges and 5 temporary immigration judges.
This is general information, not legal advice. The sources are EOIR's announcements and judges' biographies, most recently the September 24, 2026 release (opens in new tab) and its biographies (opens in new tab).
Houston has three immigration courts
Houston is not one court. EOIR runs three separate immigration courts in the city, each with its own judges:
- Houston – Jefferson Street: 500 Jefferson Street, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77002.
- Houston – Greenspoint Park: 16800 Greenspoint Park Drive, 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77060.
- Houston – S. Gessner Road: 8701 S. Gessner Road, 10th Floor, Houston, TX 77074.
Your hearing notice names your court and its address. That is the court where you file papers and appear, and the judges below were assigned to one specific court each. See all three on our Houston-area immigration courts page.
EOIR's Administrative Control list (opens in new tab) also shows which detention locations each court handles. It lists the Houston Annex (1919 Smith Street) and some children's residential facilities under Jefferson Street, and Huntsville Department of Corrections under S. Gessner Road. It lists Prairieland Detention Center and El Valle Detention Facility under Greenspoint Park. The Montgomery Processing Center is listed under a different court, the Conroe Immigration Court.
The new judges, court by court
Each entry comes from EOIR's biography for that judge. The month is when EOIR said the judge would begin hearing cases.
Houston – Jefferson Street
- Kevin Newton Buras (began Oct. 2025): ICE assistant chief counsel in Houston (2019–2025); State Bar of Texas.
- Scott V. Greenbaum (began Oct. 2025): Assistant U.S. attorney in Texas (2018–2025); Texas State Bar.
- Nicholas B. Lucic (began Oct. 2025): ICE assistant chief counsel in Adelanto, Calif., and Houston (2016–2025); State Bar of California.
- Revathi Muneer (began Mar. 2026): ICE assistant chief counsel (2022–2026) after 20 years at USCIS; State Bar of California.
- Kiera Parikh (began Mar. 2026): FBI associate division counsel, Houston (2015–2026); State Bar of Texas.
- Demetrius Tavares Cheeks (began July 2026): U.S. Coast Guard hearing officer (2021–2024); State Bar of Texas.
Houston – Greenspoint Park
- Alex G. Mason (began Mar. 2026): ICE assistant chief counsel in Arizona (2018–2026); State Bar of Arizona.
- Benjamin Sky Brown (temporary) (began Apr. 2026): Air Force Reserve assistant judge advocate (2016–2026); senior legal counsel at Houston companies; State Bar of Texas.
- James R. Abeshaus (began Aug. 2026): ICE assistant chief counsel in Houston (2025–2026); Florida Bar.
- Veronique N. DeRouselle (began Aug. 2026): ICE attorney in Houston (2020–2023, 2025–2026); State Bar of Texas.
- Jan M. Merendino (began Aug. 2026): Texas state district judge, 75th Judicial District (2025–2026); State Bar of Texas.
Houston – S. Gessner Road
- Jonathan Charles Andresen (began Oct. 2025): ICE assistant chief counsel in Houston (2020–2025); State Bar of Texas.
- Jared Seth Robinson (temporary) (began Oct. 2025): Texas district court judge (2019–2025); State Bar of Texas.
- Thomas Johnson (temporary) (began Feb. 2026): U.S. Army Reserve team leader and brigade judge advocate; Texas Bar.
- Lionel Martin (temporary) (began Feb. 2026): U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attorney (2022–2026); State Bar of Texas.
- Lian Yeh (began Mar. 2026): ICE assistant chief counsel in Port Isabel and Houston (2020–2026); New York State Bar.
- Dat T. Vo (temporary) (began Apr. 2026): IRS estate and gift tax attorney (2024–2026); State Bar of Texas.
- Veronika N. Rabon (began Sept. 2026): ICE counsel in New Orleans (2025–2026); Alabama State Bar.
EOIR's own page for each court lists its current judges, and assignments can change. Check the Jefferson Street (opens in new tab), Greenspoint Park (opens in new tab) and S. Gessner Road (opens in new tab) pages for the latest.
What this means if you have a case in Houston
- Your case may move to a different judge. When new judges join a court, some cases can be reassigned. Your hearing notice tells you the judge, date and time.
- Check your hearing information often. Use EOIR's Automated Case Information (opens in new tab) system (online or by phone). You need your A-number.
- Keep your address current. If you move, file Form EOIR-33 with the court right away. Otherwise you may miss notices, and a missed hearing can lead to an order of removal in your absence.
- Deadlines do not change. A new judge does not pause filing deadlines or earlier orders. Keep preparing evidence and witnesses for your next hearing.
- Detained cases. If you or a family member is detained, see our guides to immigration detention and bond hearings.
For how a case moves through immigration court, from the Notice to Appear to appeal, see our guide to removal proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
Which Houston immigration court is my case in?
Look at your hearing notice. It names the court and the address. You can also look up your case with your A-number in EOIR's Automated Case Information system.
What is a temporary immigration judge?
It is the title EOIR gives some of its new appointments. The EOIR biographies list five of the 18 new Houston judges as temporary immigration judges, each appointed to begin hearing cases at a named Houston court.
Will a new judge be assigned to my case?
Possibly. Some cases are reassigned when a court adds judges. Your notice, the online case system, and the court's EOIR page show the current information.
Do I still need to go to my hearing if the judge changed?
Yes. Go to every hearing at the date, time and place on your latest notice, unless the court tells you in writing that it moved.
Carlos Maury, a former U.S. Immigration Judge, leads Carlos Maury Law. To talk about your case, call (213) 769-0050. We speak Spanish.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Judge assignments can change; confirm current information on EOIR's court pages.
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