# New Immigration Judges at the Seattle, Tacoma and Portland Immigration Courts (October 2025 to September 2026)

> EOIR has named nine judges to the Seattle, Tacoma and Portland immigration courts since October 2025. Who they are, when they started, and what to check.

- Source: https://carlosmaury.law/news/new-immigration-judges-seattle-tacoma-portland-2026
- Author: Carlos Maury Law
- Published: 2026-09-24
- Updated: 2026-09-28
- Topics: new immigration judges Seattle, Tacoma immigration court judges, Portland immigration court judges, EOIR new immigration judges September 2026, temporary immigration judge Tacoma

On **September 24, 2026**, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) announced the swearing-in of **47 immigration judges and 6 temporary immigration judges** at the Justice Department's National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Two of them were assigned to the Pacific Northwest: **Jackson Beach** to the Seattle Immigration Court and **Traci L. Winder** to the Tacoma Immigration Court ([EOIR press release](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1462446/dl?inline=); [biographies](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1462441/dl?inline=)). That announcement closes a year in which EOIR named **nine judges** to the Seattle, Tacoma and Portland courts, counting permanent and temporary appointments.

This is general information from EOIR's public announcements, not legal advice. It lists only what EOIR published: names, courts and start months.

## The judges EOIR announced, court by court

Each entry below comes from an EOIR investiture announcement. "Temporary immigration judge" is the title EOIR uses for judges appointed to temporary terms.

### Tacoma Immigration Court

- **Traci L. Winder**: Temporary immigration judge, then immigration judge; start: Temporary from October 2025; appointed immigration judge September 2026 (EOIR notice: [Oct. 24, 2025](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1415981/dl?inline=); [Sept. 24, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1462441/dl?inline=))
- **Ferdinand Lugo Ortiz**: Temporary immigration judge; start: February 2026 (EOIR notice: [Feb. 5, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1426676/dl?inline=))
- **Joshua D. Rosen**: Immigration judge; start: April 2026 (EOIR notice: [Apr. 8, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1435381/dl?inline=))
- **Matthew H. Davidhizar**: Temporary immigration judge; start: August 2026 (EOIR notice: [Aug. 27, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1459376/dl?inline=))

EOIR's September 2026 biography of Judge Winder states that she "served as a temporary immigration judge from October 2025 through April 2026."

### Seattle Immigration Court

- **Drew T. Nishiyama**: Temporary immigration judge; start: February 2026 (EOIR notice: [Feb. 5, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1426676/dl?inline=))
- **Jackson Beach**: Immigration judge; start: September 2026 (EOIR notice: [Sept. 24, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1462441/dl?inline=))

### Portland Immigration Court

- **Ryan J. Clark**: Temporary immigration judge; start: April 2026 (EOIR notice: [Apr. 8, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1435381/dl?inline=))
- **Matthew N. Andrasko**: Immigration judge; start: May 2026 (EOIR notice: [May 21, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1441406/dl?inline=))
- **Joseph Lucas**: Immigration judge; start: July 2026 (EOIR notice: [July 29, 2026](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/media/1454626/dl?inline=))

According to EOIR, Judge Andrasko came to Portland after serving as a temporary immigration judge first at the Salt Lake City Immigration Court and then at the El Paso Immigration Court.

## Who sits on each court today

An announcement says where a judge was assigned when sworn in; it does not say who is hearing cases today. Temporary appointments end, and judges can be reassigned. The current list of judges is on each court's official EOIR page: [Seattle](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/seattle-immigration-court), [Tacoma](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/tacoma-immigration-court) and [Portland](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/portland-immigration-court). Our own pages for the [Seattle Immigration Court](/seattle-immigration-court), the [Tacoma Immigration Court](/tacoma-immigration-court) and the [Portland Immigration Court](/portland-immigration-court) list each court's address and official links.

The three courts handle different dockets. EOIR's page for the Tacoma court states that it "is located in a Department of Homeland Security controlled detention facility." The Northwest ICE Processing Center is in Tacoma; ICE has posted a compliance inspection for that facility dated June 2–4, 2026 ([ICE](https://www.ice.gov/node/70044)). If a family member is detained there, our guide to [immigration detention](/immigration/immigration-detention) explains how custody and [bond hearings](/immigration/bond-hearings) work.

## What this means if you have a case at the Seattle, Tacoma or Portland court

A new judge does not change the law that applies to your case or the deadlines you must meet. These practical steps do not change either:

- **Read your hearing notice.** It gives the date, time and court. If a notice arrives changing any of them, follow the newest one.
- **Check your case online.** EOIR's Automated Case Information portal, [acis.eoir.justice.gov](https://acis.eoir.justice.gov), shows your next hearing and the court where your case is pending. You need your A-number.
- **File at the right court.** Motions and evidence go to the court that has your case, with the correct A-number on every page.
- **Keep your address current.** If you move, tell the court within five days using **Form EOIR-33/IC**. The court sends hearing notices to the address it has on file, and missing a hearing can lead to an order of removal in your absence.
- **Know where you are in the process.** Our guide to [removal proceedings](/immigration/removal-proceedings) walks through the master calendar hearing, the individual hearing, the decision and appeal.

## Frequently asked questions

### How many new judges did EOIR assign to Seattle, Tacoma and Portland?

Counting EOIR announcements from October 24, 2025 through September 24, 2026: four at Tacoma (one of them, Traci L. Winder, first as a temporary judge and then as a permanent judge), two at Seattle and three at Portland. That is nine people in all.

### Is my case going to a new judge?

The announcements do not say which cases each judge hears. Your hearing notice and ACIS show your hearing date and court; the court's EOIR page shows the current bench.

### What is a temporary immigration judge?

It is the title EOIR uses for judges the Attorney General appoints to temporary positions. EOIR announces them together with permanent immigration judges and lists them separately in each announcement.

### Where does the Tacoma court hear cases?

EOIR lists the Tacoma Immigration Court at 1623 East J Street, Suite 3, Tacoma, WA 98421, and says the court is located in a DHS-controlled detention facility.

## Talk to a lawyer about your case

If you have a hearing at the Seattle, Tacoma or Portland immigration court, you can discuss your situation with Carlos Maury, former U.S. Immigration Judge, at **(213) 769-0050**. Hablamos Español.

This article is general information based on EOIR's public announcements, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship. Judicial assignments change; confirm the current bench on each court's EOIR page.

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*General legal information from Carlos Maury Law — not legal advice. https://carlosmaury.law/news/new-immigration-judges-seattle-tacoma-portland-2026*