What does the public record show about Judge Handke?
EOIR's notice of September 24, 2026 says Melissa Handke was appointed to begin hearing cases in September 2026. She earned a Bachelor of Science in 2001 from the University of Phoenix and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 2003 from Oklahoma City University School of Law. From August 2023 to September 2026 she was district attorney for Oklahoma's Twentieth Judicial District, after serving there as first assistant district attorney from December 2021 to August 2023 and as a prosecutor in Carter County from January 2015 to December 2021. Earlier she worked as an attorney in Oklahoma, including as in-house counsel for Allstate from December 2008 to December 2011, and in private practice from February 2005 to July 2007. She is a member of the Oklahoma Bar. As of October 30, 2026, our searches found no appellate decision about her work as a judge.
Is Judge Handke in Dallas or in Concord?
EOIR's September 24, 2026 notice reads "Immigration Judge, Dallas Immigration Court". EOIR's court listings point to Concord. Its Concord Immigration Court page, updated October 22, 2026, lists Melissa Handke among its judges, and its state-based directory lists her under Concord. EOIR's Dallas page, updated October 8, 2026, does not list her. So the difference is one notice against EOIR's court listings. An assignment may have changed after the notice, or a page may be out of date, and we do not know which. This changes nothing about where you must go. If your notice says Concord, go to Concord. If it says Dallas, go to Dallas. If it names her but the place looks wrong, call the court on the notice the same day, and use our guide to finding your hearing, court and judge.
If my hearing is at the Concord court, what should I know?
The court is at 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord, CA 94520, phone 925-680-9015. Public hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The filing window is on the 8th floor and open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It does not accept faxes or other electronic submissions unless court staff or the judge asked for them, so unauthorized transmissions are discarded rather than filed. Allow for security: EOIR says screening delays do not excuse lateness, and hearings proceed promptly. If you reach the courtroom late, you risk an in absentia removal order. Unless you have a representative of record, assume an in-person hearing. EOIR says that is your default, whatever a listing shows, and Webex links posted for in-person hearings are only for parties the court approved. The Dallas court, if your notice names it, is at 1100 Commerce Street, Suite 1060, Dallas, TX 75242, phone 214-767-1814. Check EOIR's status page before traveling.
Does it matter for detention whether a case is in California or Texas?
Yes, a great deal, and it turns on the place of detention, not on the judge's name. EOIR's manual sends a detained person's bond request first to the immigration court with jurisdiction over the place of detention. Our bond hearing guide, current to October 30, 2026, explains the split. California is in the Ninth Circuit, which rejected the government's view that people who entered without inspection cannot get bond. Texas is in the Fifth Circuit, which accepted it, and on October 23, 2026 the full Fifth Circuit also rejected a due process claim to such hearings, while leaving room for some other challenges. The Supreme Court has agreed to decide the main question. The Board of Immigration Appeals took the government's view in Matter of Yajure Hurtado in 2025. A transfer from California to Texas can change everything, so call a lawyer as soon as you learn of an arrest, and ask where the person is held.
Can I be arrested at the Concord court?
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. Before those rulings, in December 2025, the California court had stayed the policies within ICE's San Francisco area, which covers northern California, and on July 10, 2026 it refused to pause its ruling during an appeal. We could not confirm the current appeal status. Do not skip a hearing. If you have a prior order or any arrest history, speak with a lawyer first.
When should I talk to a lawyer?
Talk to a lawyer now if your notice and the court disagree about where you must appear, if you moved between California and Texas, if your master calendar hearing is close, or if someone has been detained. Moving does not move the case by itself: a change of venue needs a motion and a judge's order under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.20. Until then, plan to attend at the court on your notice. 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.