What does the public record show about Judge Lo?
The main public record is the biography in the notice issued by EOIR on September 24, 2026. It says David S. Lo was appointed to begin hearing cases in September 2026 and lists him for the New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2006 from Washington University in St. Louis and a Juris Doctorate in 2011 from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He was in-house counsel for Allstate from March 2024 to September 2026, for The Hartford from January 2023 to March 2024, and for Liberty Mutual from February 2019 to January 2023. Before that he was a litigator at Boyko & Associates, PC from June 2016 to January 2019, and he held legal compliance positions from August 2012 to June 2016, all in New York. He is a member of the New York State Bar. As of October 30, 2026, our searches found no published appellate decision or news report about his work as a judge. The notice itself is only weeks old.
How do I find out whether Judge Lo has my case?
Start with your most recent hearing notice. EOIR's court page and directory show where a judge is listed, not who will hear a particular case, and the same name can appear for a court without your case being on that judge's docket. Then use your A-number on the steps in our guide to finding your hearing, court and judge, including EOIR's automated line, 1-800-898-7180. EOIR says the line gives your next hearing date, time and location, in English and Spanish, so have someone beside you if you need help with the prompts. If your papers and the line disagree, or the judge is unclear, call the court at 212-602-6500. Check the building as well as the name. Manhattan has three separate immigration courts: 26 Federal Plaza, 201 Varick Street and 290 Broadway. Go to the address on your notice.
My case was moved to a new judge. What changes?
The case continues; it does not start over. Under 8 C.F.R. § 1240.1(b), if a judge becomes unavailable, another judge may be assigned to complete the case, and the new judge must become familiar with the record and say so on the record. A change of judge does not by itself change a deadline or excuse attendance, so the newest notice from the court is your instruction. Do three things. Read that notice for a new date, time, room or format. Check that everything you filed is in the record, because the new judge will work from it. At your next master calendar hearing, ask the judge to confirm any filing dates. If you are not detained and an individual hearing is set, the general evidence deadline in EOIR's manual is 30 days before it, unless the judge orders otherwise.
What should I know before going to 26 Federal Plaza?
The court is at 26 Federal Plaza, 12th Floor, Room 1237, New York, NY 10278. EOIR tells visitors to use the main entrance on Broadway, in the center of the building between Duane and Worth Streets. Public hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the filing window is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. All immigration courts require security screening, and EOIR says screening delays do not excuse lateness: hearings proceed promptly, and you must be in the courtroom at the scheduled time. A late arrival can lead to an in absentia removal order, so allow for a line at the door. The court does not accept faxes or other electronic submissions unless court staff or the judge asked for them. Phones are generally allowed but must be off during hearings. Photographing or recording is prohibited, and that includes the docket posted each morning, so copy your courtroom number by hand.
Can I be arrested at the courthouse?
As of October 30, 2026, two federal rulings limit ICE arrests in or near immigration courts, but they are not a shield. On June 23, 2026 a California federal court vacated ICE's 2025 courthouse policies, and on September 30, 2026 a Manhattan federal judge set them aside as applied to immigration courts, which leaves DHS's April 2021 limits. Those limits still allow arrests for a national security threat; an imminent risk of death, violence or physical harm; hot pursuit of someone who threatens public safety; imminent destruction of evidence in a criminal case; and, with a supervisor's advance approval, someone who threatens public safety where a safe alternative location does not exist or would be too difficult. The California court added that ICE may still arrest people outside courthouses. The Manhattan order names no single city, and the ACLU describes it as nationwide. We could not confirm whether either ruling has since changed on appeal, or whether ICE has issued new guidance. Do not skip a hearing because of this fear: missing it can mean a removal order. If you have an old order or any arrest history, talk to a lawyer first.
Can my family come, and can I join by Webex?
Usually relatives may sit in. EOIR Policy Memorandum 26-06 of July 15, 2026 says immigration courts are open to the public and visitors need no permission to observe an open hearing. There are exceptions. Hearings involving an abused child or abused spouse, or protected or classified information, are closed. An asylum or withholding hearing is open unless you expressly ask to close it, and the judge must ask you; tell your lawyer beforehand if relatives should not hear your testimony. A relative who will testify may be asked to wait outside. Webex is a different matter. EOIR publishes a link and access code beside each judge's name, and telephone hearings use 1-415-527-5035 with a code, but links posted for in-person hearings are only for parties the court approved to appear remotely. Observers of an in-person hearing must be in the courtroom. EOIR says people without a representative of record default to in-person, whatever a listing shows.
When should I talk to a lawyer?
Talk to a lawyer now if your judge or hearing date has just changed and you do not know what is due, if a hearing is less than a few weeks away, if you have an old removal order, or if a relative is detained. Bring every notice from the court, your Notice to Appear and anything you have filed. Ace Immigration's attorney, Anna Tsibel, is a Russian-speaking immigration attorney licensed by the California bar, focused on asylum and deportation defense. No lawyer can promise an outcome, but a consultation can tell you what your own papers show.