What does the public record show about Judge Hoffman?
EOIR's notice of September 24, 2026 lists Kevin L. Hoffman as a temporary immigration judge for New York - Federal Plaza, appointed to begin hearing cases in September 2026. He earned a Bachelor of Science in 2006 and a Juris Doctor in 2009 from Brigham Young University, and a Master of Laws in 2018 from the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School. From August 2022 to August 2026 he owned Hoffman Law PLLC in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Since August 2022 he has served as a reserve judge advocate. His earlier Marine Corps legal posts include staff judge advocate at Marine Corps Air Station New River from July 2020 to August 2022 and for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from July 2018 to July 2020. The notice gives his rank as lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve and his bar membership as North Carolina. As of October 30, 2026, our searches found no published appellate decision or news report about his work as a judge.
What is a temporary immigration judge? Can one decide my case?
Yes. Under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.10(e), a temporary immigration judge has the authority of an immigration judge to adjudicate assigned cases. The EOIR Director, with the Attorney General's approval, may designate any attorney to serve for renewable terms of no more than six months, and the Chief Immigration Judge must make sure each one has suitable training. That regulation was last amended on August 28, 2025. So do not treat a hearing before a temporary judge as a practice run or a hearing that can be ignored. The same attendance rules apply, the same deadlines apply, and an order from that judge is an order in your case. A loss can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals in the usual way, and our individual hearing guide gives the appeal deadline. EOIR's court page shows Judge Hoffman under a separate heading for temporary immigration judges.
What happens to my case if a temporary judge's term ends?
The case stays alive. A term is limited to six months at a time, although it can be renewed, and we could not find any public date for when this judge's term runs out, so do not guess. If any immigration judge becomes unavailable, 8 C.F.R. § 1240.1(b) allows another judge to complete the case, and the new judge must become familiar with the record and state that on the record. A new judge does not cancel a hearing. Only a notice from the court, or a ruling on the record, changes your date. Check after every hearing that you know the next date, and use EOIR's case tools regularly, because a reassignment can change the date, the room or the format. Keep your address current. Under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.15 you have five days to report a move on Form EOIR-33, and a notice you never received because you did not update your address can still bind you.
Will there be a Russian interpreter at Federal Plaza?
Do not assume one will simply be there. EOIR's manual says the court arranges an interpreter for the individual calendar hearing and, if necessary, the master calendar hearing, and that a request should be made no later than 30 days before the next hearing where an interpreter is needed. If your Notice to Appear or an earlier filing shows the wrong language, tell the court now, in writing, and say so again at the hearing. Name the language clearly. Do not plan on a relative interpreting for you in court. EOIR's automated line, 1-800-898-7180, works in English and Spanish, so ask someone to help you call it. The court's own number is 212-602-6500. If a Russian interpreter is not available when your case is called, tell the judge you need one before answering any question, because your answers go into the record.
Can ICE arrest me at my hearing?
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. We could not confirm whether the rulings have since changed on appeal. Your safest step is preparation, not absence, since missing a hearing can bring an in absentia removal order. If you have a prior order or any arrest history, see a lawyer before the date.
When should I talk to a lawyer?
Talk to a lawyer as soon as you have a hearing date, and at once if your judge has changed and you are unsure what is due, you have no interpreter arranged, or you see an order you did not expect. A lawyer can read the file and raise problems on the record before they become permanent. 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.