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Overview
- Mississippi has no immigration court, so a non-detained deportation case for a Jackson resident is heard in New Orleans.
- Jackson residents living north of the city are assigned to the Memphis Immigration Court instead of New Orleans.
- A person detained by ICE near Jackson is usually held at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, about 100 miles away, or in Louisiana.
- Detained Jackson cases are heard at the LaSalle court in Jena or the Oakdale court, so first locate the person with the ICE detainee locator.
- Phone
- (601) 500-7422
- Reviewed
- October 19, 2026
Where a Jackson deportation case is heard
There is no immigration court anywhere in Mississippi. When a person living in Jackson, Pearl, Madison, Clinton or Brandon receives a Notice to Appear, the hearing is scheduled out of state. Non-detained cases from Jackson and southern Mississippi are assigned to the New Orleans Immigration Court at One Canal Place, 365 Canal Street, Suite 500, New Orleans, LA 70130, telephone 504-589-3992. Residents of Mississippi north of Jackson are assigned instead to the Memphis Immigration Court, 80 Monroe Avenue, Lower Level Suite G-10, Memphis, TN 38103, telephone 901-528-5883. The hearing notice names the court. If you are not sure which court has your case, call us with your A-number before the first date.
If ICE takes someone into custody in central Mississippi, the case does not stay with New Orleans. People are usually held at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, about 100 miles southwest of Jackson, or at facilities in Louisiana: the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield and the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center. Detained cases from Adams County, Jena and Richwood are heard at the LaSalle Immigration Court, which sits inside the Jena facility at 830 Pine Hill Road, Jena, LA 71342, telephone 318-335-6880. Cases from Pine Prairie and Winn are heard at the Oakdale Immigration Court, 1900 East Whatley Road, Oakdale, LA 71463. ICE's New Orleans field office has jurisdiction over Mississippi and lists no sub-office in the state, so a person arrested in Jackson is normally moved before the family learns where they are.
A removal case has two halves: the charge and the relief. We start by obtaining the record, meaning the Notice to Appear, any prior orders and the complete immigration file, because the defense is often in the paperwork. A notice that lacks the hearing date, a prior entry the government overlooked, or a charge that does not fit the facts can change the case before any relief is argued. Then we identify the relief: cancellation of removal for people with ten years in the United States and a qualifying relative, adjustment of status through a U.S. citizen spouse or child, asylum and withholding, or an I-601 or I-212 waiver that pairs with a consular case in Ciudad Juárez. Each hearing in New Orleans or Memphis is roughly a three-hour drive from the office, so we prepare clients in Jackson in advance and spend the time in court on the case, not on surprises.
Jackson's immigrant community is spread across the metro and the poultry and manufacturing towns around it, including Morton, Carthage and Canton, where, as widely reported, worksite enforcement in August 2019 placed hundreds of workers in proceedings in a single day. Many of those cases, and the families attached to them, are still working through the system. Worksite cases raise their own questions: whether the arrest was lawful, whether the worker cooperated with a labor investigation and may qualify for a U visa or deferred action, and whether the employer's records support the charge at all. Many Mississippi residents carry an in absentia order from a hearing they never knew about, often because the notice went to an old address in another state. A motion to reopen filed with the court that issued the order can bring the case back. We review the notice history and the service record first, because the deadline and the standard depend on why the hearing was missed.
Deportation cases we handle from Jackson
- A Pearl or Brandon resident who received a Notice to Appear and has a first master calendar hearing at the New Orleans Immigration Court
- A spouse or parent detained at the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez whose case is now at the LaSalle court in Jena
- A poultry worker from Morton, Carthage or Canton placed in proceedings after a worksite action, with more than ten years in Mississippi
- A person with an in absentia order from a hearing they were never notified of, now facing an ICE arrest
- A permanent resident with an old conviction who was stopped at the airport returning from Mexico and referred to court
- A Mississippi resident north of Jackson, in Greenwood or Columbus, whose case is at the Memphis Immigration Court
- The spouse of a U.S. citizen who can adjust status before the immigration judge rather than leave for Ciudad Juárez
- An asylum seeker whose case was transferred to New Orleans after moving to Jackson from another state
Sound like your situation? Request a consultation or call (601) 500-7422.
How we defend a removal case from Jackson
Locate and review the record
We find the person if detained, pull the Notice to Appear, the court file and the full immigration history, and check the service record for defects before anything else.
Custody and bond
For detained clients we request a bond hearing at the LaSalle or Oakdale court, gather the sponsor letters and proof of ties, and argue for release so the case can proceed from Jackson.
Pleadings and relief
At the master calendar hearing we respond to the charges and name the relief: cancellation, adjustment, asylum or a waiver. We file the applications and supporting evidence on the court's schedule.
Prepare in Jackson, appear out of state
Witness preparation, evidence review and declarations are done at the Jackson office. The attorney appears at New Orleans, Memphis, LaSalle or Oakdale for the individual hearing.
Decision and appeal
If the judge denies relief we evaluate an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals within the 30-day deadline, and a petition for review in the federal court of appeals if needed.
Questions from Jackson clients
Where is immigration court for Jackson, Mississippi residents?
There is none in Mississippi. Non-detained cases from Jackson and southern Mississippi are heard at the New Orleans Immigration Court, 365 Canal Street, Suite 500, New Orleans, and cases from Mississippi north of Jackson at the Memphis Immigration Court, 80 Monroe Avenue. Detained cases are heard at the LaSalle court in Jena or the Oakdale court in Louisiana. Your hearing notice names the court.
How much does a deportation lawyer cost in Jackson?
Consultations are available in person at the Jackson office, by phone or by video, in English and Spanish, and fees are discussed at the consultation.
My husband was arrested by ICE in Jackson. Where is he?
Most people arrested in central Mississippi are taken to the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez or to a Louisiana facility such as Jena, Monroe, Winnfield or Pine Prairie, since ICE has no detention site in the Jackson area. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with his A-number, or his full name, country of birth and date of birth, then call us. Transfers between facilities are common in the first days.
Do I have to go to New Orleans for every hearing?
You must attend every hearing the notice sets unless the court excuses you or allows a telephone or video appearance, and missing one can produce a removal order in your absence. Some master calendar hearings can be handled by video or by counsel on a written motion; we ask for that where the court allows it, and we tell you in advance which hearings require you in person.
What happens if I missed my hearing in New Orleans or Memphis?
The judge most likely ordered you removed in absentia. The order can be reopened if you never received proper notice, or within 180 days if exceptional circumstances kept you away. Bring every notice and envelope you have and your address history since the case started, and we will review whether a motion to reopen is available.
Can I get cancellation of removal in Mississippi?
Yes, if you have been in the United States for at least ten years, have good moral character, have no disqualifying convictions, and have a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse, parent or child who would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. The case is heard at New Orleans or Memphis; the evidence is built in Jackson. Service of the Notice to Appear usually stops the ten-year clock.
I was arrested in the 2019 poultry plant raids. Can my case still be defended?
Yes. Many of those cases are still pending or carry orders that can be reviewed. Depending on the facts, there may be cancellation of removal, a U visa based on cooperation with a labor investigation, adjustment through a family member, or a motion to reopen. Bring your court papers and any paperwork from the plant and we will map the options.
Can a deportation case be moved from New Orleans to a court closer to Jackson?
There is no closer court in Mississippi, so a venue change rarely helps a Jackson resident. A motion to change venue makes sense when the respondent has moved out of the area, for example to Texas or Georgia, or when a detained case is released and should move to the non-detained docket in New Orleans or Memphis.
Can you represent me at the LaSalle court in Jena if I am detained?
Yes. The LaSalle Immigration Court sits inside the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center at 830 Pine Hill Road in Jena, about 150 miles from Jackson, and hears the detained cases from Adams County, Jena and Richwood. We enter our appearance, request bond where available, and represent you at hearings there as the court schedules them.
Does an appeal stop my deportation?
A timely appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, filed within 30 days of the judge's decision, stays the removal order automatically while the appeal is pending. A petition for review in the federal court of appeals does not, so we file a separate motion for a stay with that court if the case goes that far.
Every case is different — these answers are general information, not legal advice about your situation. For advice about your case, call (601) 500-7422 or request a consultation.