Immigration courts in Pennsylvania
Immigration Courts are part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) within Department of Justice. They handle (8 U.S.C. §1229a; 8 CFR 1240.1, 1003.19, 1003.42, 1208.31):
- Removal proceedings (deportation cases)
- Defensive asylum (when in removal)
- Cancellation of removal
- Review of DHS credible-fear and reasonable-fear decisions
- Bond hearings (for detained)
Immigration courts in Pennsylvania (real EOIR data)
The following is the EOIR (Executive Office for Immigration Review) court operating in Pennsylvania. EOIR lists no other Pennsylvania location — there is no Pittsburgh immigration court. Addresses and phones checked against each court’s justice.gov page on 2026-10-15.
Philadelphia Immigration Court
Address: Robert Nix Federal Bldg and Courthouse, 900 Market Street, Suite 504
City: Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-656-7000
Official source: justice.gov/eoir
What to expect at first hearing (Master Calendar Hearing)
- Security screening: EOIR’s court pages say visitors go through security screening with a metal detector.
- If you have no attorney: 8 CFR 1240.10(a) requires the judge to advise you of your right to representation at no expense to the government, to require you to state whether you want representation, and to advise you of the pro bono legal services available for that court location. Under 8 CFR 1003.29 the judge may grant a continuance for good cause shown.
- Interpreters: under 8 CFR 1240.5, any person acting as an interpreter in a hearing before an immigration judge must be sworn to interpret and translate accurately, unless the interpreter is a U.S. Government employee.
If detained
- Bond: under 8 U.S.C. §1226(a)(2)(A) release on bond requires a bond of at least $1,500; the statute states no maximum, and an immigration judge can review DHS custody and bond determinations under 8 CFR 1003.19 — see immigration bonds
How to find pro bono or low-cost attorney in Pennsylvania
See: Legal aid in Pennsylvania
Related information
Official source: EOIR Immigration Court Listings
Last verified: 2026-10-10.
General procedural information for educational purposes. Not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Laws and fees change — verify with the issuing agency before taking action. For case-specific guidance, consult a licensed immigration attorney or other appropriate professional.
Internet-based hearings + telephonic access (EOIR-verified, 2026-10-15)
The following EOIR judges in Pennsylvania publish Webex links for internet-based hearings + telephonic dial-in access codes. Telephonic hearings: dial 1-415-527-5035, then enter the access code for your judge.
Verify before each hearing — links and codes change. Source: justice.gov/eoir/find-immigration-court-and-access-internet-based-hearings.
Philadelphia Immigration Court
| Judge Name | Internet-Based Hearing Link | Access Code (Telephonic)* |
|---|---|---|
| ACIJ Ayodele A. Gansallo | see EOIR’s list | 2762 562 2748 |
| ACIJ Ayodele A. Gansallo | Join hearing | 2762 562 2748 |
| Antonio Capistrano (AOC) | Join hearing | 2764 660 3001 |
| John Carle (FTP) | Join hearing | 199 042 3757 |
| Lauren F. Farber (LTF) | see EOIR’s list | 199 774 4548 |
| Melissa Fox (MFX) | Join hearing | 2827 089 6553 |
| Mary Futcher (MAF) | see EOIR’s list | 2762 432 6651 |
| Johanna Gaymer (JPG) | Join hearing | 2828 832 2940 |
| Forrest Hoover (FHR) | Join hearing | 199 139 6723 |
| Timothy Kelly (KTI) | Join hearing | 2821 372 1785 |
| Dawn Kulick (DKU) | Join hearing | 199 406 5821 |
| Mary Lee (MCL) | Join hearing | 199 406 5821 |
| Keith E. Lipiec (KLI) | Join hearing | 2826 779 1205 |
| William H. McDermott (WMD) | Join hearing | 199 400 1237 |
| Joseph Scott (JHS) | Join hearing | 199 857 3657 |
Important: EOIR says respondents who do not have a representative of record will always have a default hearing medium of in-person, regardless of any link above, and that photographing or recording any part of an internet-based hearing is strictly prohibited.
Related procedural information
- Find legal aid (pro bono attorneys) by state — pro bono lists per court
- Find an immigration attorney — AILA, BIA-recognized providers
- USCIS Form I-589 — Asylum Application — defensive asylum in immigration court
- Know Your Rights — ICE encounters — what to do if arrested
- Consulate of your country in the US — consular protection during proceedings
EOIR case context (2025-2026)
Key lines stay here: hearing dates via the EOIR automated line 1-800-898-7180 (24/7, English/Spanish); the FY2026 inflation-adjusted H.R.1 / OBBBA fees took effect for EOIR filings postmarked on or after 2026-02-01 (FR 2026-01012), and DOJ’s own EOIR fee rule took effect 2026-06-11 (FR 2026-11692); the FY2027 inflation adjustment took effect 2026-10-01 (FR 2026-17146) — verify at justice.gov/eoir before filing. The national EOIR context — the pending-caseload figure from EOIR’s own statistics, the H.R.1 / OBBBA court fees, the 1996 laws and key Supreme Court rulings, and the hearing hotline and free-representation contacts — is maintained once, on the immigration courts by state hub.