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Detroit Immigration Court · EOIR · Updated August 2026

The Detroit Immigration Court, explained.

If you received a Notice to Appear, your case is heard at 477 Michigan Avenue in downtown Detroit — before one of eight immigration judges, opposite a government attorney whose job is to remove you from the United States. This guide explains who sits there, what actually happens at each type of hearing, and what to do before your date arrives. Researched from official EOIR records.

8immigration judges 477Michigan Ave., Suite 440 0court-appointed attorneys — there is no public defender here

First things first

This court is not USCIS, and not ICE

The Detroit Immigration Court is part of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), an agency inside the U.S. Department of Justice. Its judges decide whether a person may remain in the United States.

USCIS — where you file green card and naturalization applications — is a different agency, inside the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is a third agency, also inside DHS, and it is the party opposing you in court: a DHS attorney appears against you at every hearing. Filing something with USCIS does not notify the immigration court, and appearing in immigration court does not advance a USCIS application. Mixing them up causes missed deadlines.

The single most important thing on this page: there is no court-appointed counsel in immigration court. Unlike criminal court, no attorney is provided if you cannot afford one. The government will always be represented. You will not be, unless you arrange it.

The bench

Detroit immigration judges

Eight immigration judges currently sit at the Detroit Immigration Court, with Jonathan Owens serving as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge. Cases are assigned by the court — you cannot choose your judge, and assignments change. This roster reflects the official EOIR staff directory as of July 2026.

Immigration Judge

Christopher Cooper

Immigration Judge

Robert L. Gundlach

Immigration Judge

Katherine Hansen

Immigration Judge

Mark J. Jebson

Immigration Judge

Denise Kallas

Immigration Judge

Jill K. Krishnan

Immigration Judge

John E. Moriarty

Immigration Judge

Ian R. Simons

Source: EOIR Detroit Immigration Court staff directory, U.S. Department of Justice, updated July 15, 2026. Assistant Chief Immigration Judge: Jonathan Owens. Backup ACIJ: Jayme Salinardi. Court Administrator: Donte Anderson (Acting). Rosters change — verify current assignments with the court.

On grant rates: outcomes vary meaningfully from judge to judge, and published statistics circulate widely online. We don't reprint those numbers here, because grant-rate data is easy to misread — it reflects the mix of cases a judge received, not a prediction about yours. What matters more is whether your claim is documented, corroborated, and presented in the way that court expects.

The part nobody explains

Master Calendar vs. Individual Hearing

Almost every removal case runs through two very different kinds of hearings. People routinely prepare for the wrong one.

Hearing type 1

Master Calendar

  • Short — often just a few minutes at the podium
  • Several cases scheduled at the same time; you wait your turn
  • You plead to the allegations and charges in the Notice to Appear
  • You identify what relief you'll seek — asylum, cancellation, adjustment
  • The judge sets filing deadlines and your next date
  • No testimony, no witnesses, no decision on the merits
  • Interpreters are provided by the court
Hearing type 2

Individual (Merits) Hearing

  • This is the trial — often months or years after the first Master
  • Scheduled for a dedicated block of time
  • You testify under oath, in detail, about your own case
  • The DHS attorney cross-examines you
  • Witnesses testify; documentary evidence is admitted
  • Country-conditions evidence and expert declarations matter
  • The judge decides whether you can stay
Why the distinction matters: the Master Calendar is where cases are quietly lost — by conceding removability that shouldn't be conceded, failing to name a form of relief, or missing the filing deadline the judge sets that day. It's five minutes that shapes everything after.

Step by step

How a removal case moves

1

Notice to Appear (Form I-862)

DHS issues the charging document alleging you are removable and files it with the court. Read it carefully — the allegations and charges in it define the entire case, and they are sometimes wrong.

2

First Master Calendar hearing

You appear, confirm your address, and — with counsel — plead to the allegations and charges and identify the relief you'll seek. The judge sets deadlines. Missing this hearing generally results in removal ordered in your absence.

3

Applications and evidence

Asylum (I-589), cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, or another form of relief is filed by the deadline, with supporting evidence — declarations, identity and country-conditions documents, medical and psychological evaluations, corroborating witness statements.

4

Further Master Calendars

Additional short hearings may follow for scheduling, filings, or issues that arise. Each one is a real hearing — appearance is mandatory.

5

Individual Hearing

The merits trial: direct testimony, cross-examination by DHS, witnesses, exhibits, and legal argument. Preparation — including practicing testimony with an interpreter — is the difference between a granted case and a denied one.

6

Decision

The judge may rule orally from the bench or issue a written decision later. Either party may appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, generally within 30 days. That deadline is strict.

Before your hearing

What to bring, and what to do

  • Your hearing notice and a copy of your Notice to Appear
  • Government-issued photo identification
  • Copies of everything filed in your case
  • Any document DHS or the judge specifically requested
  • Arrive early — security screening takes time
  • Metal detector and bag screening on every visit; shoes may need to come off
  • No food or drink; no cameras or recording devices
  • Dress as you would for any court appearance
  • Bring someone who can watch your children — the courtroom is not the place
  • Tell the court in writing within 5 days of any address change (Form EOIR-33)
  • Never sign anything you don't understand
  • If you can't attend, contact your attorney immediately — do not simply not appear
Missed your hearing? Failing to appear generally results in an in absentia removal order and can bar you from certain relief for years. A motion to reopen may be available in limited circumstances — lack of proper notice, or exceptional circumstances — but the deadlines are strict and short. Call an attorney the same day you realize what happened, not next month.

Contacts & logistics

Court directory

Detroit Immigration Court

Address
477 Michigan Avenue, Suite 440
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone
313-226-2603
Email
Detroit.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov
Public hours
Mon–Thu 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Fri 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Window filing
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Asylum EAD clock
Asylum.Clock.Detroit@usdoj.gov

Getting there & inside

Parking
Two-hour metered spaces near the building; adjacent surface lots roughly $5–10 per day
Transit
The Detroit People Mover stops across from the building on Cass Avenue
Security
Metal detector and handbag screening on every visit; shoes may be required to be removed
Not allowed
Food and drink; cameras and recording devices in courtrooms or EOIR space
Automated case info
EOIR's automated case information system and the EOIR Courts & Appeals System (ECAS) provide hearing dates by A-number

Source: EOIR Detroit Immigration Court page, U.S. Department of Justice, updated July 15, 2026. Hearings may be scheduled in person or by internet-based video depending on the case — always follow the format stated on your hearing notice.

Common questions

Detroit Immigration Court FAQ

Do I need a lawyer in immigration court?
There is no government-appointed counsel in immigration court — no attorney is provided if you cannot afford one. The government is always represented by an experienced DHS attorney who will cross-examine you. Removal proceedings decide whether you can remain in the United States, and the law is complex. Representation matters substantially.
Can I bring my children to my hearing?
Unless a child is a respondent in the case or is needed as a witness, it's far better to arrange childcare. Hearings involve long waits and difficult testimony, and a child in the courtroom makes an already hard day harder.
Will there be an interpreter?
The court provides interpreters for immigration court hearings. Tell the court in advance what language and dialect you need — a mismatch can delay your case or damage your testimony. Our office also works with clients directly in Spanish.
What if I move?
You must notify the immigration court in writing, generally within five days, using Form EOIR-33 for the correct court. If notices go to an old address, hearings continue without you — and an in absentia removal order can follow. This is one of the most common avoidable disasters in immigration practice.
Are immigration court hearings public?
Immigration court hearings are open to the public with limited exceptions specified in law. Cameras and recording devices are prohibited in courtrooms and other EOIR spaces.
How long will my case take?
Longer than you expect. Immigration court dockets nationwide carry substantial backlogs, and the gap between a first Master Calendar and an Individual Hearing is commonly measured in years — though scheduling practices shift with policy changes. Use the wait: the strongest cases are the ones where the evidence was built steadily rather than assembled the month before trial.
Is the Detroit court the same as the USCIS Detroit field office?
No. The immigration court at 477 Michigan Avenue is part of the Department of Justice and decides removal cases. USCIS field and asylum offices are part of the Department of Homeland Security and handle applications such as green cards and naturalization. They are separate agencies with separate filings, deadlines, and addresses.

The government has a lawyer. You should too.

We appear in the Detroit Immigration Court regularly — Master Calendars, bond hearings, and full merits hearings on asylum, withholding, and CAT. If you have a Notice to Appear or a hearing date, talk to us before that date, not after.

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