How do I get cleared to attend a hearing at Ulster?
Start here. EOIR's page, updated October 8, 2026, and read October 31, 2026, says every visitor must request a gate clearance from EOIR staff at least two business days before the hearing. Give the respondent's A-number, each visitor's name, relation to the respondent and age, and a contact phone number. New York's corrections department (NYSDOCCS) must approve it, and EOIR warns that without advance clearance you may not be let in. Call 845-647-2223 or write to Ulster.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov. Do this as soon as you have the date from the hearing notice or case system; a Friday call for a Monday hearing is already too late.
What can I bring into Ulster Correctional Facility?
Assume very little. All visitors check in with the lobby officer, show valid government photo ID, and should arrive at least 30 minutes before the hearing. You pass a metal detector, and no electronic device may go inside: lock phones in your car or in a facility locker, which costs a fee. The page gives no fee amount. Children cannot come, because the corrections department bars anyone under 18 from immigration hearings here. EOIR tells visitors to call the facility at 845-647-1670 beforehand for age limits and rules on what is allowed. Cameras and recording devices are prohibited.
Can I see my relative while I am there?
Not as a visit. EOIR says you will not be able to visit with the respondent when you attend a hearing. Ordinary prison visits are a separate process run by the state. The DOCCS page for Ulster lists visits on weekends and holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with the latest arrival at 2 p.m., a limit of three visitors plus one child under 5, and an odd and even schedule on weekends. That information took effect September 1, 2026. The court is open Monday to Friday, so a hearing and a regular visit will usually be separate trips. Confirm the current schedule with the facility before you drive.
How do I get to Napanoch without a car?
With difficulty, and EOIR says so. The court is in a rural area, public transportation is very limited, and EOIR recommends driving. It says bus service runs close to the facility and drops off at a major street, after which you need a taxi or must walk. Taxis are not always immediately available. EOIR links to Coach USA at web.coachusa.com but gives no route number, stop name or walking distance, and neither does DOCCS, whose page has only a map link. Plan the last stretch before you leave, and allow for the 30-minute early arrival. EOIR does not say what happens to a late visitor, so call 845-647-2223 if you are delayed.
What else does EOIR list for this court?
Public hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the filing window runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday except federal holidays. The page lists Ubaid ul-Haq as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge, also shown at Buffalo and Varick, and 3 immigration judges. A listing does not show who has a case. The control list, updated October 1, 2026, says a court “may have jurisdiction” over charging documents for people held at listed sites, and names the New York State Department of Correctional Services and Broome County Jail in Binghamton under Ulster. That does not settle one person's case; the notice does. The court page says nothing on remote attendance, so ask the court. EOIR's status page prints only Berme Road, with no street number.