What does the public record show about Judge Territola?
The main record is the biography in EOIR's notice of July 29, 2026. It lists her for the New York - Federal Plaza Immigration Court, appointed to begin hearing cases in July 2026. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2015 from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Public Administration in 2019 from New York University, and a Juris Doctor in 2019 from Brooklyn Law School. From February 2024 to July 2026 she was an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor at ICE in New York. From April 2023 to February 2024 she was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. From September 2019 to April 2023 she worked at the New York - Varick Immigration Court, first as a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor through the Attorney General's Honors Program, then as an attorney advisor. She 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 her work as a judge.
Can I ask for a different judge?
Only for a specific reason. You do not choose your judge, and earlier government work is not in itself a ground to replace one. In Matter of Exame (1982), the Board of Immigration Appeals held that a judge's past service as a government trial attorney in other, similar cases did not require stepping aside, but that taking part in investigating or prosecuting the particular case would. EOIR's Memorandum 05-02 says Exame also recognizes recusal where a person was denied a constitutionally fair proceeding, where a judge has a personal bias from a source outside the case, and where conduct shows pervasive bias. The memo's test is objective: would a reasonable person who knows all the facts question the judge's impartiality? Requests must be made on the record or in writing, with specific reasons, and adverse rulings are not enough. Today the rule is regulatory: under 8 C.F.R. § 1240.1(b), a judge shall withdraw if he or she deems himself or herself disqualified. This applies to every judge and says nothing about this one.
Is 26 Federal Plaza the same court as Varick Street?
No. Judge Territola's earlier court work was at Varick, but EOIR lists three separate Manhattan courts, each with its own address: Federal Plaza at 26 Federal Plaza, 12th Floor, Room 1237; Varick at 201 Varick Street, 5th Floor, Room 507; and Broadway at 290 Broadway, 15th Floor. EOIR showed all three as open when we checked on October 30, 2026, but its status page carries no date, so recheck before you travel. Go only where your latest notice says. Your case does not follow your new apartment either. If you move, you must file Form EOIR-33 with the court within five days under 8 C.F.R. § 1003.15, and a change of venue needs a motion, good cause and a judge's order under § 1003.20. Until a new notice arrives, plan to attend at the current court. Our guide to finding your hearing explains how to check.
A relative is detained. Would a Federal Plaza judge decide bond?
Do not assume so. EOIR's manual says a detained person's request goes first to the immigration court with jurisdiction over the place of detention, and there is no filing fee. EOIR's Administrative Control List, updated October 1, 2026, names the New York DHS district office for Federal Plaza but no detention site. Under New York - Varick it lists the 26 Fed Plaza Holding Area, Orange County (New York) Jail, the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and Nassau County Jail. So if a relative is held at one of those sites, call Varick first, at 646-638-5766, not Federal Plaza. The list says only that a court may have jurisdiction, so confirm with the A-number. EOIR's case website tells you to contact the local court for bond information. Whether someone who entered without inspection can get a bond hearing depends on where he or she is held, and a transfer can change that answer, so act quickly.
Does being held in New York mean a bond hearing?
For now it may, but that rule is under review. In Matter of Yajure Hurtado in 2025, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that immigration judges cannot hear bond requests from people present without admission. On April 28, 2026, the Second Circuit, which covers New York, rejected the government's reading. That same decision is now before the Supreme Court in Rhoney v. Barbosa da Cunha, No. 26-104, granted on October 1, 2026, with no decision yet, so the New York rule itself could change. The Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas and Louisiana, accepted the government's reading, so a transfer can matter a great deal. Some people cannot get bond under either reading. Our bond hearing guide, current to October 30, 2026, explains who.
Is it safe to go to my hearing at 26 Federal Plaza?
No one can promise that, but missing a hearing can mean an in absentia removal order. 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 these rulings have since changed on appeal. If you have an old removal order or an arrest record, tell a lawyer before the hearing. Enter by the main Broadway entrance, arrive early, and keep your notice and your lawyer's number with you.
When should I talk to a lawyer?
Before your master calendar hearing, because what you admit there shapes the case, and at once if you see an order you did not expect or a relative is detained. Bring every notice. If you think any judge has a real conflict in your case, do not file a recusal request on your own: it must give specific reasons, and it is rarely the right first step. 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.