# Stephanie Cotton Immigration Judge · [Seattle Immigration Court](/kyj/court/wa/seattle-immigration-court) Last updated October 25, 2026 ## Stephanie Cotton at a glance Current role Immigration Judge Court [Seattle Immigration Court](/kyj/court/wa/seattle-immigration-court) Jurisdiction Washington · Federal Judicial service Active ## Immigration proceeding outcomes No proceeding outcomes in this EOIR release are matched to this profile. Any separately published asylum statistics are available below. ## Biography ### Professional career - Newly appointed U.S. Immigration Judge for the Jena, Louisiana Immigration Court, sworn in in August 2026 under Attorney General Todd Blanche - Appointed by the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to begin hearing immigration cases in August 2026 - a legal counsel and hearing officer in the Legal Division, Department of Finance, for the State of Alabama in Montgomery — June 2023–August 2026 - 2007 – 2023: Sole practitioner at South Alabama Law, Andalusia, AL; held the role of county attorney for Covington County, AL; municipal judge for the Town of River Falls, AL - Judge, 35 Immigration Judges, and 3 Temporary Immigration Judges From 2007 to 2023, she was a sole practitioner in Andalusia, Alabama, doing business as South Alabama Law beginning in April 2011, and also served as a county attorney for Covington County, Alabama, and as a municipal judge for the Town of River Falls, Alabama. - Prince Institute of Professional Studies — Associate’s degree, Court Reporting, 1998 ### Education - Thomas Goode Jones School of Law — J.D. (2006) - Faulkner University — B.S. (2002) ### Additional information - Part of a group of 35 new immigration judges announced in August 2026. - EOIR will publish her case statistics once her docket data becomes available. - Judge Cotton is a member of the Alabama State Bar. - Her appointment follows a thorough selection process and training program administered by EOIR. - As an Immigration Judge, Judge Cotton will adjudicate cases involving removal, asylum, bond, and other immigration matters under the jurisdiction of the Jena, LA Immigration Court. ## Sources Identity source checked August 30, 2026 . Biography sources checked October 11, 2026 . ### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 30, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.1 - Delivery and Receipt Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 30, 2026 ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.3 - Documents ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.10 - Interpreters ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.11 - Courtroom Decorum ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.12 - Electronic Devices ### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.15 - Individual Calendar Hearing ### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings ### Current EOIR official staff directory Current EOIR Official Staff Directory source · HTML · Source checked October 7, 2026 [Public Records & Data Use](/public-records-data-use) · [Corrections policy](/corrections) ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.1 — Delivery and Receipt](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-c9195b4f0bba01a19aa8df41) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-1). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 3.11 — Courtroom Decorum](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8d8e8e8bf80478864645291a) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-3-11). Collected 2026-10-27. - [EOIR Practice Manual 2.3 — Documents](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-53ee093be24c18a5d1a93046) — Immigration Court proceedings only, not BIA or OCAHO. Preserve chapter-specific proceeding limits. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.justice.gov/eoir/policy-manual-eoir/part-II/icpm/chapter-2-3). Collected 2026-10-27.