Is this my court, or the downtown or Van Nuys court?
Los Angeles has three non-detained court locations on EOIR's list: N. Los Angeles Street downtown, West Los Angeles by LAX, and Van Nuys Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. Which court you got is not something you can work out from your home address, so read your latest Notice of Hearing. Confirm it on the automated line, 1-800-898-7180, with the help of our guide on finding your hearing date and court, or call this court at 310-335-2100. The other two are the downtown court and the Van Nuys court. A judge's name in EOIR's listing for West Los Angeles does not show that this judge has your case; the notice or the court will tell you.
Where is the entrance, and how do I get there?
EOIR's page says the entrance is on the backside of the building, which is easy to miss if you are looking for a front door in a hurry, so allow time to walk around. Parking at the court is available for a fee; the page does not state the price. It lists Metro Rail, Metrolink trains and the DASH bus as public transit without giving routes, and that same list appears on the downtown court's page, so check a route to this address yourself rather than assume one exists nearby. Public hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday except federal holidays. Closures are posted on EOIR's Operational Status page.
What do security and the waiting area look like?
Everyone passes a metal detector and bag screening on each visit, and you may be asked to remove your shoes. Under the Policy Manual, you must clear security and be in the courtroom at the scheduled time, and a line does not excuse you; lateness can lead to an in absentia removal order. Phones may be carried but must be off during hearings, and only lawyers of record and DHS attorneys may use them in court. Recording anywhere in EOIR space is prohibited, and so is photographing the posted docket. EOIR's July 15, 2026 memo says relatives and other visitors need no permission to sit in on an open hearing, and an asylum hearing stays open unless you ask to close it.
How do I file papers with this court before my hearing?
The window here is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays except federal holidays, and the entrance is at the back, so leave time to walk around before it closes. The ICE attorneys are not listed at this address: the ICE handout appears to pair this court with OPLA Los Angeles, 606 S. Olive Street, 8th Floor, so confirm before you rely on it. Their copy can go by hand, mail or courier, and your filing with the court needs a signed proof of service with the office, address, date, method and documents, or it may be returned. Mail to the court counts on arrival, while mail to DHS counts when sent. People without a lawyer who are not detained file 15 days ahead for a ruling at a master calendar hearing, or otherwise in open court, and 30 days ahead of an individual hearing. No receipts are issued; add a copy marked CONFORMED COPY; RETURN TO SENDER and a prepaid return envelope for a stamped one. West.Los.Angeles.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov discards unrequested evidence, and Asylum.Clock.West.Los.Angeles@usdoj.gov handles only work-permit clock requests. Form EOIR-33 is due within five days of a move.
Can ICE arrest someone at this court?
It can happen, but under narrower rules than in 2025. As of October 30, 2026, ICE's 2025 policy for arrests in or near immigration courts stands vacated by two federal courts: in Pablo Sequen v. Albarran in California on June 23, 2026, with a pause refused on July 10, and in part in African Communities Together v. Venturella in New York on September 30, 2026, with relief not limited to the plaintiffs. ICE's April 2021 guidance applies instead, and arrests remain possible in defined cases such as a national security threat or a danger to public safety. We found no later appeals ruling, and these cases can move, so ask a lawyer what applies this week. Staying away is not the safer choice: an absence can end in an order of removal in your absence. Get advice first if you have an old order or a criminal record.
How do I prepare, and what if my hearing is for trial?
A first hearing and a trial hearing need different preparation. For a first appearance, our master calendar hearing guide explains pleadings and what you will be asked. For a trial date, our individual hearing guide covers the deadline for evidence, generally 30 days ahead for non-detained people, so a hearing next week may mean that date has passed; call a lawyer now. A detained person's bond request goes to the court with jurisdiction over the place of detention, which may be Adelanto or elsewhere, not this court. ICE's Online Detainee Locator, ice.gov/locator, shows where someone is held. California is in the Ninth Circuit, which rejected the government's mandatory detention reading in Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock; see our bond hearing guide as of October 30, 2026. Ace Immigration's Anna Tsibel speaks Russian, is licensed by the California bar and focuses on asylum and deportation defense. You can request a consultation, read what to expect in Los Angeles immigration courts, or see our Los Angeles representation page; meetings in Westlake Village are by appointment.