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Carlos Maury Law
Former Immigration Judge
(213) 769-0050
9th Circuit

Southern California Immigration Courts

Southern California has eight EOIR immigration court locations, all in the Ninth Circuit. Five serve the Los Angeles area: Los Angeles, West LA, Van Nuys, Santa Ana and Adelanto. Three serve the border region: the downtown San Diego court, the Otay Mesa court inside a DHS-controlled detention facility near the border, and the Imperial court in the Imperial Valley. Detained cases are heard at Adelanto, Otay Mesa and Imperial.

Carlos Maury, a former U.S. Immigration Judge, represents clients before these courts. Carlos Maury is licensed in Florida. Practice limited to federal immigration law; we represent clients in all 50 states. Call (213) 769-0050 — hablamos español.

Courts in Southern California

Courts by region

Los Angeles area

The five courts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties — with addresses, judges and phones — are on the Los Angeles-area immigration courts page.

Downtown San Diego

The San Diego Immigration Court, at 880 Front Street, Suite 4240, hears non-detained cases from the San Diego DHS District Office. EOIR says the building has no parking for the public.

Otay Mesa, by the border

The Otay Mesa Immigration Court, at 7488 Calzada de la Fuente, sits inside a DHS-controlled detention facility and hears detained cases. EOIR assigns it: DHS Detention Facility; Yuma Sector Centralized Processing Center; San Diego Sector, Pogo Row Soft-Sided Facility.

Imperial Valley

The Imperial Immigration Court, at 2409 La Brucherie Road in Imperial, hears detained and non-detained cases. EOIR assigns it the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico and all Calexico non-MPP cases.

Detained cases in Southern California

A detained person can ask for a bond hearing where the law allows it.

Which court is my case in?

Your Notice to Appear or latest hearing notice names it; look it up with your A-number in EOIR's case information system (opens in new tab). A judge may move a case to another court for good cause (8 C.F.R. § 1003.20 (opens in new tab)). Step by step: how to check your immigration court date.

How EOIR splits Southern California cases, per its Administrative Control list. It is a guide: your hearing notice is what counts.

Appeals: the 9th Circuit

After a final BIA order, a petition for review from Southern California courts goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit within 30 days (8 U.S.C. § 1252(b)(1)–(2) (opens in new tab)). The BIA follows 9th Circuit precedent in cases from Southern California (Matter of Anselmo, 20 I&N Dec. 25 (BIA 1989) (opens in new tab)).

News from these courts

All firm news

Need a defense in these courts? See our deportation defense lawyer page — a former U.S. Immigration Judge — and our immigration bond lawyer page. We also handle asylum, criminal immigration, green card, marriage green card, K-1 fiancé visa, TPS, U visa and VAWA, waiver, appeals and citizenship cases.

Frequently asked questions

How many immigration courts are in Southern California?

EOIR has 8 court locations in Southern California: Los Angeles Immigration Court, West LA Immigration Court, Van Nuys Immigration Court, Santa Ana Immigration Court, Adelanto Immigration Court, San Diego Immigration Court, Otay Mesa Immigration Court and Imperial Immigration Court.

Which Southern California immigration courts hear detained cases?

Adelanto Immigration Court, Otay Mesa Immigration Court and Imperial Immigration Court. If your family member is held by ICE, the case is usually heard at one of these courts. A detained person can ask for a bond hearing where the law allows it.

Which Southern California immigration courts hear non-detained cases?

West LA Immigration Court and San Diego Immigration Court.

Which immigration court hears San Diego cases?

It depends on detention. The San Diego Immigration Court, at 880 Front Street, Suite 4240, hears non-detained cases; the Otay Mesa court, at 7488 Calzada de la Fuente inside a DHS detention facility, hears detained cases.

Is there an immigration court in the Imperial Valley or Calexico?

Yes: the Imperial Immigration Court, at 2409 La Brucherie Road, Imperial. It hears detained cases — EOIR assigns it the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico — and non-detained cases, including all Calexico non-MPP cases.

Where do people held by ICE in Southern California have their hearings?

At three courts: Adelanto, inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center; Otay Mesa, inside its detention facility; and Imperial, for the Calexico facility. To find where a family member is held, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator (locator.ice.gov).

Which ICE office handles detention and bond in Southern California?

For the Los Angeles-area courts, ICE's Los Angeles Field Office ((213) 830-7911); for San Diego, Otay Mesa and Imperial, ICE's San Diego Field Office ((619) 436-0410). Bond is paid to ICE, online through CeBONDS, not to the court.

What is the difference between the San Diego and Otay Mesa courts?

San Diego is downtown and, per EOIR, has no parking for the public; Otay Mesa is inside a detention facility near the border, with posted visitor parking. EOIR lists the same Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, Julie Nelson, for both.

Is Carlos Maury licensed in California?

No. Carlos Maury is licensed in Florida. Immigration court practice is federal: a lawyer admitted to the bar of any state may represent clients before EOIR nationwide (8 C.F.R. §§ 1001.1(f) and 1292.1(a)(1)). We do not advise on California state law.