Houston Immigrant Court
Non-detainee court cases are handled at the Houston Immigration Court located in downtown Houston TX. The court operates under the jurisdiction of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, which is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) under the Department of Justice. The EOIR is separate from immigration related agencies that fall under the Department of Home Security (DHS). Agencies under the DHS include:
- Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS)
- Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- See also…Houston Contract Detention Facility
The Houston Immigration Court handles cases involving foreign born individuals that have violated immigration law and have been charged by the Department of Homeland Security. There are nine judges in the court and they have the responsibility to decide who among those charged should be removed. Your lawyer can try to get the court to grant you relief or protection if you find yourself in this situation. It is the Department of Homeland Security’s responsibility to identify and start the process of removal for foreigners that stay in the country in breach of immigration laws.
The Judges In The Houston Immigration Court
Whether an alien gets to stay in the United States or gets removed is determined by the judges at the Houston Immigration Court. The nine judges at the Houston Immigration Court are:
- Marcos Gemeoets
- Georgina M. Picos
- Richard A. Jamadar
- Monique Harris
- Clarease R. Yates
- Nimmo Bhagat
- Stephanie E. Gorman
- Gary E. Endelman
- Chris A. Brisack
Any appeal against a judgment by immigration judges goes to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) in Falls Church, Virginia. The board does not favor court room proceeding but mostly rely on “a paper review to make a decision on appeals.
Recent Trends In Houston Immigration Courts
There have been reports that the Houston Immigration Court has been facing backlog issues, which cause may cases to be pushed back for several months. This is not a recent problem but insiders indicate that it is becoming worse. So if you are put in detention, you need to hire a lawyer as soon as you can so that your case is not delayed for too long because of backlog issues. Another trend is that many foreign nationals in detention have no idea that they can hire a lawyer to represent them. This is one of the reasons why a significant number of respondents are appearing at various stages of the process of removability without any form of representation.
Houston Immigration Attorneys
People facing removal proceedings should contact a Houston immigration attorney to help them apply for a Green Card or Visa. Since deportation proceeding are not considered criminal but civil, there is no constitutional guarantee of the right to counsel under the sixth amendment for migrants facing deportation. That means that you have to hire an immigration lawyer to represent you during these proceedings. You will need an attorney that has years of experience fighting for the rights if immigrants in the greater Houston area. Your lawyer will not only fight for you but will also represent the best interests of your family. Studies show that having legal representation can improve your chances of winning your immigration case.