“Immigration court” is not one building, and it is not the same building as the criminal court. Which venue your matter lands in changes the timeline, the procedure, and often the strategy. These are the ones that come up most often for clients in this area.
Detained removal cases · Adelanto, San Bernardino County
When someone is detained by ICE in this region, the case is frequently heard at Adelanto, inside the detention facility. The detained docket moves on a far shorter timeline than the non-detained docket — hearings come quickly, and the window to gather bond evidence, letters of support and country-conditions material is measured in days rather than months. This is the single biggest reason detention cases should not sit.
Non-detained removal cases Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Adelanto, Van Nuys
Non-detained removal proceedings for Inland Empire residents are generally heard in Los Angeles. Venue is set by where the case is filed rather than strictly by where you live, and it can be moved by motion when the circumstances support it — which matters when a client is working, caregiving, or without reliable transportation to downtown Los Angeles.
Criminal matters · 8303 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga
Across the street from this office. When a criminal case and an immigration case are running at the same time, the two dockets do not talk to each other — but what happens in this building can decide what happens in immigration court years later. The specific code section and the wording of a plea are where that gets determined.
Applications and interviews · 995 Hard St. San Bernardino, CA 92408
Green card interviews, naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies for this area are handled through USCIS rather than the immigration court. People routinely confuse the two systems, and some have matters pending in both at once, where the outcome of one directly affects the other.
The first two days matter more than most people expect, because the detained docket moves fast. Before you call anyone, try to collect:
- Full legal name and date of birth — exactly as it appears on their documents, which is not always the name the family uses.
- The A-number, if you have it. Nine digits, usually written as A-123-456-789, and it appears on nearly every piece of immigration paperwork they have ever received.
- Where they are being held, and the name of any officer or agency that made contact.
- Any criminal history, including old cases, dismissed cases, and anything from another state. This is what determines whether bond is even available.
- Any prior immigration history — previous removals, voluntary departures, prior applications, past court dates missed or attended.
Bond eligibility turns on immigration and criminal history, not on which facility someone is in. Some people are subject to mandatory detention by statute and a judge cannot set bond for them at all. Knowing which category applies is the first question, not the last.
- Deportation defense — representation in removal proceedings before the immigration court
- Immigration bond — bond hearings and redetermination for detained clients
- Asylum — affirmative and defensive claims, including withholding and CAT
- Motions to reopen — in absentia orders and cases decided without you present
- U visa and VAWA — relief for crime victims and survivors of abuse
- Family petitions — petitions and adjustment of status for relatives
- Naturalization — citizenship applications, including cases with complications
- Waivers — inadmissibility waivers and hardship showings
- Appeals — appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals
A conviction that carried a light sentence in criminal court can be the thing that makes someone deportable years later. The reverse is also true: a case charged one way instead of another, or a plea worded differently, can leave someone’s status intact. Those decisions get made in the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse, usually quickly, and usually before anyone has looked at the immigration consequences.
The law requires defense counsel to advise a non-citizen client about the immigration consequences of a plea. When that did not happen, California law provides a route to challenge the conviction: a motion under Penal Code section 1473.7 lets someone who is no longer in criminal custody vacate a conviction that was legally invalid because they did not meaningfully understand what it would do to their immigration status. It is a different remedy from expungement, which does not erase a conviction for immigration purposes.
We handle both sides of this in-house — the criminal posture and the immigration consequence — rather than coordinating between two firms. More on Penal Code 1473.7 motions.
My hearing is in Los Angeles but I live in Rancho Cucamonga. Can it be moved closer?
Sometimes. A motion for change of venue asks the immigration judge to transfer the case to a different court, and it is decided on factors including where you live, where the evidence and witnesses are, and the reason for the request. It is not automatic and it is not granted simply because the drive is long. It is worth raising early, because a venue change after a case is well underway is harder to obtain.
A family member is at Adelanto. How fast do I need to move?
Quickly. The detained docket runs on a much shorter timeline than the non-detained docket, so the practical window to prepare a bond request and assemble supporting evidence is short. The eligibility question also has to be answered first, because certain criminal grounds trigger mandatory detention, and in those cases a judge has no authority to set bond regardless of how strong the family support is.
Do I have to appear in person, or can things be handled remotely?
It depends on the court, the type of hearing, and the current practice of the specific judge. Some appearances are conducted by video or telephone and some require you to be present in the courtroom. What does not change is that a scheduled hearing goes forward whether or not you appear, so a hearing you cannot attend is something to address in advance rather than on the day.
I have a criminal case in Rancho Cucamonga and an immigration case at the same time. Which one comes first?
They run on separate tracks and neither waits for the other, which is exactly the problem. The criminal case usually moves faster, and decisions made there can foreclose immigration options that were available beforehand. The sequencing question should be answered before a plea is entered, because it is far easier to shape a disposition than to undo one.
I moved within the Inland Empire. Does that affect my case?
It can, and it is a common way cases go wrong. Federal law requires most non-citizens to report a change of address in writing within ten days of moving, and if you are in removal proceedings you must update the immigration court separately — notifying USCIS is not enough. Hearing notices sent to an old address are one of the most frequent reasons people end up with removal orders they never knew about.
Location: 8331 Utica Avenue, Suite 100, in the Rancho Cucamonga business district, near the Haven Avenue corridor and across the street from the Rancho Cucamonga District courthouse.
Parking
By freeway
- The nearest exits from I-10 is Haven Ave.
- I-15 is Foothill Blvd.
- and SR-210 is Haven Ave.
Accessibility and transit: Wheelchair Accessible
Bring or have ready any paperwork you have received — court notices, charging documents, immigration correspondence, prior filings and approval notices. The documents tell us more about what is available to you than a description of the situation does. Consultations are available in English and Spanish.
- Rancho Cucamonga — 909.538.8320
- Fontana — 909.347.7171
- Pomona — 909.397.5888
The information on this page is general information about immigration and criminal law in California. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Burga Law Firm, PC. Every case turns on its own facts. Court venues, procedures and agency practice change; confirm current information before relying on it. [TO SUPPLY: firm-approved results and testimonials disclaimer wording, per Task J of the implementation spec]