Chicago immigration court: address, how to check your case, and free legal help
The Chicago Immigration Court is at 55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60603, in the Loop, with a second entrance on E. Adams Street. It's open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday; the phone is 312-220-0965. To see your next hearing, enter your A-Number at acis.eoir.justice.gov or call 1-800-898-7180. If you've moved, tell the court on Form EOIR-33 within five working days, or you may never get the notice.
The court at a glance
| Address | 55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60603. Building entrance also on E. Adams Street |
|---|---|
| Phone | 312-220-0965 · email the court |
| Public hours | 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday to Friday except federal holidays |
| Filing window | 8 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Getting there | CTA Adams/Wabash, with bus stops alongside; Metra Electric and South Shore Line nearby |
| Parking | Paid parking inside 55 E. Monroe, and the Adams & Wabash Self-Park at 17 E. Adams |
| Asylum work-permit clock | Asylum.Clock.Chicago@usdoj.gov, only for clock questions, with your name, A-Number and why it's wrong |
This is a court of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the Justice Department. EOIR's judge directory lists 22 judges in Chicago, including the assistant chief immigration judge. It isn't USCIS: green card, citizenship and asylum interviews happen at USCIS offices, not here.
What's confirmed and what's only reported
- OfficialAddress, phone, hours, transit and parking above, as published by EOIR. Page last updated October 22, 2026. EOIR court page.
- OfficialPeople without an attorney or accredited representative always default to an in-person hearing, even if the judge holds other hearings by video. EOIR, internet-based hearings page.
- OfficialA new address must reach the court within five working days on Form EOIR-33, with a copy to ICE's legal office. Moving doesn't move your case: only the judge can, on a motion to change venue. Form EOIR-33/IC; 8 CFR 1003.20.
- OfficialA federal court vacated ICE's and EOIR's 2025 courthouse-arrest policies (final judgment June 30, 2026) and on July 10, 2026 refused to pause that while the government appeals. ICE can still arrest people inside courthouses in the limited circumstances its earlier policies allowed. Pablo Sequen v. Albarran, N.D. Cal.
- ReportedIn May 2025, federal agents arrested at least four people who came to their scheduled hearings inside the Chicago court. WBEZ.
Before your hearing, step by step
Confirm the date yourself
Your Notice to Appear or Notice of Hearing has the date and time. Check it again on EOIR Automated Case Information with your A-Number (the 9-digit number starting with A) and nationality, or by phone at 1-800-898-7180. A new date only appears once the court has set it, so check every few weeks, and always after you move.
Update your address with the court and with USCIS
File the EOIR-33 online through Respondent Access (no account needed), in person at the filing window, or by mail, one form per person in the case. Send a copy to ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, for example through the ICE eService portal. USCIS needs its own change of address (Form AR-11): one doesn't update the other.
If you moved to another state, ask to move the case
A new address doesn't send your case to a new court. You, or better your lawyer, file a written motion to change venue, with your new address already on file. Until the judge grants it, your hearings stay in Chicago and missing one has the same consequences.
Get a lawyer before the first hearing if you can
Call the free providers below the day your notice arrives. If nobody can take you in time, go anyway and ask the judge for time to find a lawyer. Never send a notario or a friend in your place.
Translate your evidence
Every document in Spanish you hand the judge needs a complete English translation and the translator's signed statement that they're competent and the translation is accurate (8 CFR 1003.33). See how to do it right.
Arrive early for security
Everyone goes through a metal detector and a bag check, and you may be asked to remove your shoes. No food or drinks unless the judge allows them, and no cameras or recordings. Hearings are public, so someone can come with you and wait in the courtroom.
Go to your hearing. If you miss it, the judge can order your removal in your absence and DHS can take you into custody; that order can block relief like cancellation of removal, voluntary departure or a green card for ten years. If you're afraid of what happens at court, the answer is to see a lawyer before the date, not to stay home.
Free and low-cost legal help for the Chicago court
From the Justice Department's official pro bono list for Chicago (October 2026 edition, updated every January, April, July and October).
| Organization | Contact | Who they help |
|---|---|---|
| National Immigrant Justice Center | 312-660-1328 (text preferred) 111 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 800 | People who aren't detained use that hotline. People in ICE detention call collect at 312-583-9721; detained Illinois residents' families, the ICIRR Family Support Network at 855-435-7693. |
| Children's Legal Center | 312-722-6642 1100 W. Cermak Road, Suite 422 | Children, detained or not. |
| Cook County Public Defender, immigration unit | 312-603-0636, Wednesdays 9–11 a.m. 69 W. Washington Street, Suite 1600 | Cook County residents in ICE custody, and current or past Public Defender clients. All staff speak Spanish. |
| ABA Immigration Detention Hotline | Speed dial 2150# from detention | Only people detained by ICE. Families can email the ABA. |
| Western Illinois Dreamers | 217-391-6860 Macomb, IL | People without a criminal record. |
Only attorneys and accredited representatives can represent you in immigration court. If you're Venezuelan and lost TPS, read asylum after TPS: the deadline is running before your consultation.
Questions people ask
Where is the Chicago immigration court?
At 55 E. Monroe Street, Suite 1500, Chicago, IL 60603, on the 15th floor of a Loop office tower. You can also enter the building from E. Adams Street. The closest CTA stop is Adams/Wabash.
What time does the Chicago immigration court open?
Public hours and the filing window are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday except federal holidays. The court can close without warning for weather; check EOIR's operational status page before you go.
What is the phone number of the Chicago immigration court?
312-220-0965. For general questions you can also email Chicago.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov. The court won't accept filings by email or fax unless the judge or staff asked for them.
How do I check my immigration court case in Chicago?
Use EOIR's Automated Case Information website with your A-Number and nationality, or call 1-800-898-7180 (TDD 800-828-1120). It shows your next hearing date, time and courtroom once the court has set it.
I moved out of Illinois. Is my hearing still in Chicago?
Yes, until the judge says otherwise. Tell the court your new address on Form EOIR-33 within five working days, and ask for a change of venue with a written motion. Until the judge grants it, you must keep going to Chicago.
Where can I find a free immigration lawyer in Chicago?
The Justice Department's pro bono list for Chicago names the National Immigrant Justice Center, whose hotline for people who aren't detained is 312-660-1328 (text preferred). Children can call the Children's Legal Center at 312-722-6642. Detained people can use the ABA hotline, speed dial 2150#.
Sources checked on October 24, 2026
- EOIR — Chicago Immigration Court (updated Oct 22, 2026)
- EOIR — List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers (October 2026)
- EOIR — Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings (updated Oct 22, 2026)
- EOIR — Check Case Status (hotline 1-800-898-7180)
- EOIR — Automated Case Information
- EOIR — Respondent Access (file the EOIR-33 online)
- 8 CFR 1003.20 — Change of venue
- Pablo Sequen v. Albarran, No. 25-cv-06487-PCP (N.D. Cal.), order denying stay pending appeal (Jul 10, 2026)
- 8 CFR 1003.33 — Translation of documents
- WBEZ — ICE agents in the hallways of Chicago's immigration court (May 22, 2025)
Something changed or looks wrong? Send us a correction. This guide is general information, not legal advice.