EOIR Immigration Judge
EOIR resources / Immigration judges / Lenka J. Koss
Judge Lenka J. Koss
Annandale Immigration Court · Annandale, Virginia · Immigration Judge
Court Assignment
Annandale Immigration Court in Annandale, Virginia is this judge's listed court assignment and serves cases associated with Virginia. EOIR venue and transfer rules determine where an individual case is heard, so respondents should follow the location on their latest notice.
Immigration Judge Role and Case Types
Immigration judges are trial-level adjudicators who preside over removal proceedings. They decide whether a respondent is removable and consider applications for relief such as asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), and cancellation of removal. They also hear bond matters when the court has jurisdiction. EOIR does not publish individual immigration judge decision statistics in the same way the Social Security Administration publishes Administrative Law Judge disposition statistics.
Professional Role
Lenka J. Koss was appointed as an immigration judge to begin hearing cases in April 2026. Judge Koss earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in International Relations and Foreign Languages (German) in 1999 from West Virginia University and a Juris Doctor in 2002 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. From 2020 to March 2026, she was with the Board of Immigration Appeals, Executive Office for Immigration Review, Department of Justice, in Falls Church, Virginia, serving in the following roles: senior attorney advisor (October 2024-March 2026); and attorney advisor (2020 to October 2024). From 2009 to 2020, she served as an attorney advisor in several components of the Social Security Administration, including the Office of Hearings and Appeals and the Office of Chief Administrative Law Judge where she earned the 2019 Team Honor Award for Outstanding Performance of Special Review Cadre. From 2003 to 2007, she was an associate attorney at a private law firm where she worked on bankruptcy and commercial law litigation. Judge Koss is a member of the Maryland State Bar.
Immigration judges are attorneys appointed by the Attorney General. EOIR's published qualifications call for at least seven years of post-bar-admission legal experience. Judges serve as trial-level adjudicators in the immigration court system; they are not attorneys for either side.
Immigration Process and Respondent Resources
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, court procedures, and enforcement policies can change. Deadlines and options depend on your case and the notices you received. Talk with a qualified immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative about your situation.