Featured Issue: Immigration Courts

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• Just Security: The Urgent Need to Restore Independence to America’s Politicized Immigration Courts – November 12, 2020
• TRAC Report: Asylum Denial Rates Continue to Climb – October 28, 2020
  
  • Individual Judge-by-Judge Asylum Decision Report Series
• San Francisco Chronicle: Justice Department Cancels Diversity Training, Including for Immigration Judges – October 9, 2020
• The New Republic: The Best Way to Protect Immigrants from the Whims of Politics – October 5, 2020
• Senators Announce GAO Investigation of the Politicization and Mismanagement of Immigration Courts – September 14, 2020
• For information about DOJ and EOIR’s response to COVID-19, please visit AILA Tracks EOIR’s Operational Status During Coronavirus Pandemic. For practice resources, see AILA’s COVID-19 Resource Center.

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AILA's Statements and Resources | Complaints | Speak Out in Support of Due Process | Government Announcements | Congressional Efforts | Immigration Court Bills | Attorney Practice Resources | Reports | AILA Resolutions

For years, the immigration court system has been plagued by systemic problems that have severely undermined its ability to deliver just and fair decisions in a timely manner. Housed within the DOJ, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is vulnerable to executive branch interference, a structural flaw which the current administration has exploited and which undermines the very integrity of the system. These problems are compounded by a growing case backlog that has surpassed 1 million cases. While oversight would slow the most recent policies, it would not remedy the conflict of interest inherent in an immigration court system that is firmly under the control of the Attorney General. AILA urges Congress to introduce bipartisan legislation that establishes an independent immigration court system, outside the DOJ, under Article I of the Constitution.

AILA's Statements and Resources

• AILA Press Statement: DOJ Proposes Regulation to Turn Immigration Appeals into Tool of the Administration’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda - August 26, 2020
• AILA, Council, and NIPNLG Press Release: New FOIA Request Filed to Force Agency to Release Immigration Court Operations Information on COVID-19 Pandemic - August 4, 2020
• AILA Press Release: Trump Administration Makes Immigration Courts an Enforcement Tool by Appointing Prosecutors to Lead – July 6, 2020
• NGO Letter: AILA and Partners Send Letter to EOIR on Premature Decision to Resume the Non-Detained Docket - June 15, 2020
• AILA Press Statement: EOIR Director Attempts to Buy Out Remaining Board Members to Solidify Control of Immigration Courts – May 28, 2020
• Press Statement: New Documents Reveal Immigration Judge Hiring Plan Designed to Stack the Courts, Prioritize Politics Over Justice – May 4, 2020
• Press Statement: Lawsuit Seeks Halt to Dangerous and Unconstitutional Policies Endangering Immigration Attorneys, Clients, and the Public During the COVID-19 Pandemic – March 30, 2020
• Press Statement: Immigration Judges, Prosecutors, and Attorneys Renew Call for Immediate Closure of All Immigration Courts - March 22, 2020
  • List to a recording of the March 17, 2020 telephonic press briefing with Public Health Expert, AILA, NAIJ, and ICE Professional’s Union – March 17, 2020
    
    
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• Public Statement: The National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ), the ICE Professionals Union, and AILA called for the emergency closure of the nation’s Immigration Courts in adherence with current public health protocols regarding the COVID-19 virus and recognizing the urgency of this public health crisis. - March 15, 2020
• Press Statement: Lawsuit Seeks to Uncover Problematic Board of Immigration Appeals’ Hiring Procedures - March 19, 2020
• AILA Press Statement: New Rule Seems Designed to Halt Valid Immigration court Petitions By Drastically Hiking Fees - February 28, 2020
• NGO Letter: Congress Must Establish an Independent Immigration Court – February 18, 2020
• AILA Policy Brief: Questions Remain After AILA Joins Laredo Tent Court Tour – January 30, 2020
• AILA Policy Brief: Restoring Integrity and Independence to America's Immigration Courts – January 24, 2020
• AILA Policy Brief: Public Access to Tent Courts Now Allowed, but Meaningful Access Still Absent – January 10, 2020
• AILA Press Statement: New Policy Memo Appears Designed to Collapse Board of Immigration Appeals – October 3, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: Immigration Law Experts Debriefed Press on “Port Courts” and Due Process Concerns – September 12, 2019

  • Listen to a recording of the September 12, 2019, telephonic press briefing on the new port courts and the due process concerns:

    
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• AILA Policy Brief: AILA Policy Brief: DHS and DOJ Are Opening Secretive Port Courts Along the Southern Border - September 6, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: Fourth Circuit Strikes Down Attorney General Opinion, Restores Fundamental Power to Immigration Judges - August 30, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: DOJ Seeks Termination of Immigration Judges Union, Further Undermining Court Independence - August 15, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: AG’s Decision Ignores Precedent and Is the Latest Attempt to Restrict Asylum – July 29, 2019
• AILA, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Immigration Judges, and the Federal Bar Association Letter: Legal Associations Call for Independent Immigration Court System - July 11, 2019
• Listen to a recording of the July 11, 2019, telephonic press briefing with AILA, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Immigration Judges, and the Federal Bar Association.
  
  
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• AILA Press Statement: AILA: AG Attempts Power Grab over Immigration Appeals - July 2, 2019
• AILA's Quicktake #266: MOCs Call on DOJ to Reverse the Matter of M-S- Decision - May 17, 2019
• Listen to a recording of the May 17, 2019, telephonic press briefing on the current state of our nation's immigration system with Representative Cárdenas (D-CA), Professor Ingrid Eagly, Kate Voigt, and retired Immigration Judges Jeff Chase and Paul Schmidt.
  
  
  
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• AILA Policy Brief: Facts About the State of Our Nation's Immigration Courts - May 14, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: Presidential Memo Seeks to Deny Asylum Seekers Fundamental Human Rights - April 30, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: AG Aims to Detain Asylum Seekers, Intruding Further on Immigration Court Independence – April 17, 2019
• AILA and the American Immigration Council Press Statement: American Immigration Council and AILA File Complaint to Bring Injustice in El Paso Immigration Court to Light – April 3, 2019
• AILA Press Statement: AILA Joins Senators in Call for Immigration Court Reform and Access to Counsel - March 6, 2019
• AILA Policy Brief: FOIA Reveals EOIR's Failed Plan for Fixing the Immigration Court Backlog - February 21, 2019
• Listen to a recording of the February 21, 2019, telephonic press briefing on Executive Office for Immigration Review's Strategic Caseload Reduction Plan. This plan was obtained via FOIA by AILA and the American Immigration Council.
  
  
  
  
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• AILA Think Immigration Blog: Shining Some FOIA Light on the Immigration Courts - February 21, 2019
• AILA Statement: The Need for an Independent Immigration Court Grows More Urgent As DOJ Imposes Quotas on Immigration Judges – October 1, 2018
• AILA Video: AILA Calls for Immigration Court Reform - October 1, 2018
• AILA Press Release: AG Sessions’ Remarks Emphasize Need for Independent Immigration Courts – September 10, 2018
• AILA Quicktake Video: NAIJ Files a Formal Grievance Against EOIR and DOJ - August 9, 2018
• AILA Press Release: Immigration Judges Spotlight DOJ Hijacking of Court Independence – August 8, 2018
• AILA and the American Immigration Council Press Release: DOJ Ignores Set of Recommendations to Strengthen Immigration Court System Efficiency and Effectiveness - April 23, 2018
• AILA and the American Immigration Council Policy Brief: Recommendations from Independent Study of Immigration Courts Contradict DOJ Policy Changes - April 23, 2018
• Listen to a recording of the April 23, 2018, telephonic press briefing on the findings contained in the year-long case study on the U.S. immigration court system.
  
  
  

  Can't see the audio player? Download the Audio File (MP3)

• Listen to a recording of the April 4, 2018, telephonic press briefing on EOIR's new performance metrics for immigration judges
  
  
  
  
  

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• AILA and the American Immigration Council Press Release: DOJ Strips Immigration Courts of Independence - April 3, 2018
• AILA Policy Brief: Imposing Numeric Quotas on Judges Threatens the Independence and Integrity of Courts – October 12, 2017
• AILA Press Release: Trump Administration Erodes Integrity and Fairness in Immigration Courts – October 12, 2017

Complaints

• AILA’s New Jersey Chapter Seeks to Enjoin Newark Immigration Court from Compelling In-Person Proceedings – July 31, 2020
  
  • On August 7, 2020, the AILA New Jersey Chapter filed a motion for preliminary injunction, as well as a brief in support of the motion, requesting the court to issue a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting EOIR from compelling attorneys to attend in-person proceedings at the Newark Immigration Court.
• NAIJ Files Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutional Prior Restraint on the Speech of Immigration Judges (Nat'l Ass'n of Immigration Judges v. McHenry, No. 1:20-cv-00731 (E.D. Va.)). – July 1, 2020
  
  • On August 6, 2020, the District Court held that it lacked jurisdiction over NAIJ's claims and accordingly denied the motion for a preliminary injunction. Now pending possible appeal.
• AILA, the Immigration Justice Campaign, the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and several detained individuals filed suit to demand EOIR and ICE take actions to prioritize health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic (NIPNLG et al., v. ICE, 3/30/20)
  
  • Timeline of Case Challenging Immigration Court and Detention Policies in Response to COVID-19
• FOIA Lawsuit Presses for Records on How Appellate Immigration Judges Are Hired (AILA v. U.S. Department of Justice Office of Information Policy, Case 1:20-cv-00752, DDC, filed March 17, 2020)
  
  • AILA and the American Immigration Council Obtain EOIR Hiring Plan via FOIA Litigation – May 4, 2020
• AILA and the American Immigration Council Filed Administrative Complaint Highlighting Due Process Violations in El Paso SPC Immigration Court - April 3, 2019
• On December 18, 2019, several organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the weaponization of the nation’s immigration court system to serve the Trump administration’s agenda. The lawsuit contests the perpetuation of immigration court jurisdictions where asylum is effectively impossible to win, the creation of a backlog of more than a million immigration cases, the implementation of enforcement-oriented performance metrics for immigration judges, and the implementation of a rapid-removal family docketing directive. On July 31, 2020, the judge denied the government’s motion to dismiss, allowing the case to go forward. For more information, see Las Americas v. Trump.
• NAIJ Grievance: Judges' Union Grievance Seeking Redress for the Unwarranted Removal of Cases from IJ - August 8, 2018

Speak Out to #ProtectDueProcess

AILA members and advocates are encouraged to use the following advocacy tools to urge Congress to protect due process:

• Take Action: Tell Congress to Call for Immigration Court Reform - October 8, 2019
• AILA Members’ Letter to the Editor Template on the Need for an Independent Immigration Judiciary – October 2, 2018
• Key Messaging on the Need for an Independent Immigration Court – October 2, 2018
• Over 1,000 AILA Members Sent Letter to AG Sessions, Expressing Concern Over Efforts to Undermine Judicial Independence – October 1, 2018

Government Announcements

AG Decisions | Regulations | Policy Memos | OPPM | BIA Decisions | EOIR Director Decisions | Other

Attorney General (AG) Decisions

• Attorney General Rules on Duress Exception to the Persecutor Bar for Asylum and Withholding of Removal (Matter of Negusie, 28 I&N Dec. 120 (A.G. 2020))
• Attorney General Rules That the BIA Must Examine Asylum Claims De Novo (Matter of A-C-A-A-, 28 I&N Dec. 84 (A.G. 2020)) – September 24, 2020
• Attorney General Rules on Categorical Approach to Determining Aggravated Felonies (Matter of Reyes, 28 I&N Dec. 52 (A.G. 2020)) – July 30, 2020
• Attorney General Refers Case to Himself and Then Vacates Board’s Decision on Definition of “Torture” (Matter of R-A-F-) - February 26, 2020
• (Matter of Reyes) - November 21, 2019
• AG Vacates Decisions and Remands to Assess State-Court Alterations in Light of the Pickering Test (Matter of Thomas and Matter of Thompson) – October 25, 2019
• Attorney General Affirms BIA’s Order in Matter of Castillo-Perez on Multiple DUIs and the Good Moral Character Standard (Matter of Castillo-Perez) – October 25, 2019
• Attorney General Overrules Portion of Matter of L-E-A- Relating to Particular Social Group (Matter of L-E-A-) – July 29, 2019
• AG Issues Decision Matter of M-S- 27 I&N Dec. 509 (A.G. 2019) - April 16, 2019
• (Matter of M-G-G-) - October 12, 2018
• AG Issues Decisions in Accordance with Matter of Castro Tum (Matter of S-O-G- & F-D-B-) - September 19, 2018
• (Matter of Neguse) - June 28, 2018
• Attorney General States IJs May Only Grant Continuances "For Good Cause Shown" (Matter of L-A-B-R, et al.) - August 16, 2018
• Attorney General Narrows Criteria for Asylum Seekers (Matter of A-B-) - June 11, 2018
• Attorney General Holds IJs and the BIA Have No General Authority for Administrative Closure (Matter of Castro-Tum) - May 17, 2018
• Attorney General Refers and Vacates Decision on Entitlement to Full Asylum Hearing (Matter of E-F-H-L) - March 5, 2018

Regulations

• Professional Conduct for Practitioners—Rules and Procedures, and Representation and Appearances
  
  • Comments on the proposed rule are due on October 30, 2020. (85 FR 61640, 9/30/20)
• Procedures for Asylum and Withholding of Removal
  
  • Comments on the proposed rule are due on October 23, 2020. (85 FR 58692, 9/23/20)
• EOIR Proposed Rule on Appellate Procedures and Administrative Closure – August 26, 2020
  
  • Comments on the proposed rule are due 9/25/20. (85 FR 52491, 8/26/20)
  • AILA, the Council, and the Justice Campaign Submit Comments Opposing Proposed EOIR Rule on Appeals – September 25, 2020
• Joint EOIR and USCIS Proposed Rule on Procedures for Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT Protection
  • Comments on the proposed rule are due 7/15/20 and comments on proposed form changes are due 8/14/20. (85 FR 36264, 6/15/20)
• EOIR Interim Rule Expanding the Size of the BIA to 23 – April 1, 2020
  
  • EOIR interim rule adding two additional Board member positions to the BIA, thereby expanding its size to 23. The rule is effective 4/1/20. Comments must be submitted by 5/1/20. (85 FR 18105, 4/1/20)
• EOIR Proposed Rule Increasing the Filing Fees for Forms and Motions Filed with EOIR. Comments due 3/30/20. (85 FR 11866, 2/28/20)
• USCIS and EOIR Joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Bars to Asylum Eligibility (84 FR 69640, 12/19/2019)
• DOJ Interim Rule Making Changes to EOIR, Including Delegating New Authority to EOIR Director (84 FR 44537, 8/26/19)
• DOJ/DHS Interim Final Rule Barring from Asylum Eligibility Individuals Who Transit Through a Third Country Without Seeking Protection – July 16, 2019
• DOJ Final Rule, Board of Immigration Appeals: Affirmance Without Opinion, Referral for Panel Review, and Publication of Decisions as Precedents - July 2, 2019
• DHS and DOJ Joint Interim Final Rule on Asylum Claims Along the Southern Border - November 9, 2018
• EOIR Interim Rule Expanding the Size of the BIA to 21 – February 27, 2018

EOIR Policy Memos

• PM 21-03: Immigration Court Hearings Conducted by Telephone and Video Teleconference - November 6, 2020
• PM 21-02: Cancellation of Certain Operating Policies and Procedures Memoranda - November 6, 2020
• PM 21-01: Guidelines for the Implementation of the Settlement Agreement in Mendez Rojas v. Wolf - November 5, 2020
• PM 20-16: OCAHO Settlement Officer Program – August 3, 2020
• PM 20-15: Operating Policies and Procedures Memoranda 96-4 and 9904 – July 2, 2020
• PM 20-14: Cancellation of Certain Operating Policies and Procedures Memorandum - June 12, 2020
• PM 20-13: EOIR Practices Related to the COVID-19 Outbreak - June 11, 2020
• PM 20-12: Adjudicating Applications for CNMI Resident Status and Extending the Asylum Application Bar for Certain Persons in the CNMI - April 29, 2020
• PM 20-11: Filings and Signatures – April 3, 2020
• Addendum to PM 20-10: Immigration Court Practices During the Declared National Emergency Concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak – March 19, 2020
• PM 20-10: Immigration Court Practices During the Declared National Emergency Concerning the COVID-19 Outbreak – March 18, 2020
• PM 20-09: The Immigration Court Practice Manual and Orders – February 13, 2020
• PM 20-08: Definitions and Use of Adjournment, Call-Up, and Case Identification Codes – February 13, 2020
• PM 20-07: Case Management and Docketing Practices – January 31, 2020
• PM 20-06: Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, Public Law 116-92 - January 13, 2020
• PM 20-05: Legal Advocacy by Non-Representatives in Immigration Court – November 21, 2019
• PM 20-04: Guidelines Regarding New Regulations Providing For the Implementation of Asylum Cooperative Agreements – November 19, 2019
• PM 20-03: Child Advocates in Immigration Proceedings – November 15, 2019
• PM 20-02: Administrative Review of Recognition and Accreditation Determinations – October 2, 2019
• PM 20-01: Case Processing at the Board of Immigration Appeals – October 1, 2019
• PM 19-14: EOIR Releases Policy Memo on Allegations of Misconduct by EOIR Adjudicators and Ex Parte Communications - August 16, 2019
• PM 19-13: EOIR Releases Policy Memo on Use of Status Dockets in Immigration Court Proceedings - August 16, 2019
• PM 19-12: Guidelines Regarding New Regulations Governing Asylum and Protection Claims - July 16, 2019
• PM 19-11: No Dark Courtrooms - March 29, 2019, effective May 1, 2019
• PM 19-10: Public Use of Electronic Devices in EOIR Space - March 20, 2019
• PM 19-09: OCAHO Case Completion Goals - December 21, 2018
• PM 19-08: Acceptance of Notices to Appear and Use of the Interactive Scheduling System - December 21, 2018
• PM 19-07: Identifying and Reporting Fraud and Abuse - December 19, 2018
• PM 19-06: Internal Reporting of Suspected Ineffective Assistance of Counsel and Professional Misconduct - December 18, 2018, effective January 1, 2019
• PM 19-05: Guidance Regarding the Adjudication of Asylum Applications Consistent with INA §208(d)(5)(A)(iii) - November 19, 2018
• PM 19-04: Tracking and Expedition of "Family Unit" Cases - November 16, 2018
• PM 19-03: Guidance Regarding the Presidential Proclamation Addressing Mass Migration Through the Southern Border of the United States - November 13, 2018
• PM 19-02: Guidelines Regarding New Regulations Governing Asylum and Protection Claims - November 9, 2018
• PM 19-01: New Format for Memoranda and Cancellation of OPPMS - November 7, 2018

OPPM

• Chief Immigration Judge, Mary Beth Keller, issued OPPM 18-02: Definitions and Use of Adjournment, Call-up, and Case Identification Codes - June 8, 2018
• Chief Immigration Judge, Mary Beth Keller, issued OPPM 18-01 Change of Venue - January 17, 2018
• Chief Immigration Judge, Mary Beth Keller, issued OPPM 17-01: Continuances - July 31, 2017

BIA Decisions

Recent BIA Decisions available here

EOIR Director Decisions

• Matter of BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES, INC., 28 I&N Dec. 16 (DIR 2020)
• EOIR Director Rules on Requests for Reconsideration of Accreditation Denials (Matter of BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES, INC., 27 I&N Dec. 837 (DIR 2020))

Other

• San Francisco Chronicle: Justice Department Cancels Diversity Training, Including for Immigration Judges – October 9, 2020
• EOIR Announces 20 New Immigration Judges - October 9, 2020
• EOIR Announces 46 New Immigration Judges – July 17, 2020
  • Mother Jones - He Defended Anti-Gay and Anti-Muslim Causes. Now He’s an Immigration Judge. – July 24, 2020
• EOIR Announces Tracy Short as New Chief Immigration Judge – July 2, 2020
  
  • Buzzfeed News: A Top Immigration Court Official Called for Impartiality In A Memo – July 3, 2020
• DOJ OIG Releases Audit of EOIR's FY2019 Financial Management Practices - June 9, 2020
  
  • San Francisco Chronicle: Trump Officials Cut Immigration Court Interpreters After Misstating Costs, Report Finds - June 9, 2020
• Roll Call: DOJ ‘Reassigned’ Career Members of Board of Immigration Appeals - June 9, 2020
• EOIR Announces New BIA Chairman - May 29, 2020
  
  • The Nation: The Shadow Court Cementing Trump’s Immigration Policy – June 30, 2020
• Roll Call: DOJ Memo Offered to Buy out Immigration Board Members - May 27, 2020
• Roll Call: DOJ Hiring Changes May Help Trump’s Plan to Curb Immigration – May 4, 2020
• Just Security: Revised Justice Department Policy Still Silences Immigration Judges – March 5, 2020
  
  • Read EOIR’s revised policy memo, Submission and Processing of Requests for Speaking Engagements – January 2020
• Houston Chronicle: New Trump Administration Policies Fast-Track Some Children’s Immigration Court Hearings, Including Video Pilot in Houston – March 3, 2020
• CNN: Trump Administration Puts Pressure on Completing Deportation Cases of Migrant Children – February 12, 2020
  
  • Emails about the 60-day UAC case completion requirement obtained via FOIA by Matthew Hoppock
• Knight Institute Calls on DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review to Suspend Policy Silencing Immigration Judges - January 6, 2020
  • Read Letter and EOIR Policy Memo, Speaking Engagement Policy for EOIR Employees (September 1, 2017)
• Pro Publica: The Trump Administration Was Ordered to Let These Migrants Seek Asylum. It Didn’t Tell the Judges Hearing Their Cases. – 11/22/2019
  
  • Dara Lind Releases IJ Guidance Following the Federal Court Order in Al Otro Lado v. Wolf – 11/22/2019
• Email from NAIJ President about IJ Performance Evaluations and Quotas – November 2019
  

  “Many IJs have inquired about ways that they may register their protest against the imposition of the quotas and deadlines. If you are inclined, you may use the proposed language below in your cover email returning the electronically signed PWP to your ACIJ. Protest Language – “I do not agree that the numerical metrics/quotas constitute an accurate measure of my performance. Nor do I agree that the numbers produced by EOIR are accurate within the designated metric categories.””

• CQ Roll Call: DOJ changed hiring to promote restrictive immigration judges – October 29, 2019
• San Francisco Chronicle: Watch the videos introducing immigrants to U.S. courts – September 17, 2019
• Buzzfeed’s Hamed Aleaziz Twitter: Immigration Judges received guidance on the SCOTUS ruling allowing the Trump administration’s asylum ban to be enforced across the southern border - September 12, 2019
  • Reuters Releases EOIR Guidance on Asylum Ban 2.0 Implementation
• San Francisco Chronicle: Confusion, delays as videos replace interpreters at immigrants’ hearings – September 5, 2019
  • EOIR video transcript for detained respondents;
  • EOIR video transcript for nondetained respondents; and
  • FAQ for pro se respondents.
• Reveal: Leaked immigration court official's directive could violate rules that protect families from deportation - August 19, 2019
  • Reveal shares additional guidance on EOIR's family unit docket.
• Reuters: No ‘day in court’: U.S. deportation orders blindside some families - July 26, 2019
  
  • Reuters shares additional guidance on Immigration Judge quotas and EOIR’s Family Unit docket.
• San Francisco Chronicle: Videos start replacing interpreters at immigration court hearings – July 17, 2019
• The Intercept: The Trump Administration is Planning Mass Video Proceedings For Immigrants in Tents on the Border - June 28, 2019
• Email from Mary Beth Keller, Chief Immigration Judge, to all Immigration Judges on "New Performance Measures" - October 1, 2018
  
  • Attached to this email were the following items: (1) Updated Performance Workplan Element 3 containing new case completion goals and benchmarks for IJs, (2) a definitions document, and (3) Frequently Asked Questions.
• EOIR Released Memo on Staff Availability for Detail Travel - May 30, 2018
• EOIR Issues Guidance Implementing Immigration Judge Performance Metrics - March 30, 2018
• Director McHenry issued memorandum, Case Priorities and Immigration Court Performance Measures - January 17, 2018
• AG Sessions Issues Memo Outlining Principles to Ensure that the Adjudication of Immigration Cases Services the National Interest - December 6, 2017
  
  • Backgrounder on EOIR Strategic Caseload Reduction Plan
  • EOIR Press Release: AG Sessions Issues Memo Outlining Principles to Ensure That the Adjudication of Immigration Cases Serves the National Interest
• EOIR Strategic Caseload Reduction Plan - October 23, 2017

Congressional Efforts

• Senators Announce GAO Investigation of the Politicization and Mismanagement of Immigration Courts – September 14, 2020
• Senators Call for GAO Investigation into the Politicization and Mismanagement of Immigration Courts as COVID-19 Crisis Rages – August 21, 2020
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Demands Trump Administration Explain Incomplete Immigration Court Data – June 16, 2020
• U.S. Senators Press Attorney General Barr for Information and Documents Related to the Politicization and Maladministration of American Immigration Courts - February 13, 2020
• EOIR FY 2021 Congressional Budget Submission – February 10, 2020
  
  • “Analysis of Appropriations Language: The FY 2021 budget removes language contained in the FY 2020 enacted appropriation providing not less than $18,000,000 for the Legal Orientation Program.” (See pg. 7).
• On January 29, 2020, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship will hold a hearing on immigration courts, Courts in Crisis: The State of Judicial Independence and Due Process in U.S. Immigration Courts.
• H.R. 1158, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Division B – 12/20/2019
  
  • Joint Explanatory Report – 12/20/2019
• House Democrats Demand Information from DOJ and DHS on its Use of Tent Courts - November 25, 2019
• Members of Congress Call for Investigation of Tent Courts - October 17, 2019
• Eighty House Democrats Call on DOJ to Withdraw Petition to Decertify NAIJ - October 16, 2019
• U.S. Senators Urge Attorney General to Rescind Decision on Matter of L-E-A- - August 21, 2019
• Nadler and Lofgren Issue Statement on DOJ Petition to Decertify the National Association of Immigration Judges - August 13, 2019
• Forty-Two House Democrats Demand that DOJ Rescind New Plan to Eliminate In-Court Interpreters - July 26, 2019
• Fifty-Five Members of Congress Call on DOJ to Reverse the Matter of M-S- Decision – May 15, 2019
• EOIR FY2020 Budget Request At A Glance - March 14, 2019
• NAIJ Letter to House Appropriations CJS Subcommittee Chairman and Ranking Member - March 12, 2019
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on CJS Hearing with EOIR Director McHenry - March 7, 2019
  
  • Testimony of EOIR Director, James McHenry
• AILA Sends Oversight Letter to House Judiciary Committee - January 24, 2019
• NAIJ Letter to Senate on the Impact of the Government Shutdown – January 9, 2019
• CHC Questions DOJ's Review of Legal Orientation Program - October 5, 2018
• Acting Deputy Assistant AG Office of Legal Policy testimony for HSGAC Hearing – September 18, 2018
• 18 Senate Democrats Request Information on DOJ's Initiative to Recalendar Administratively Closed Cases- September 13, 2018
• Harris, Feinstein, Colleagues Call on Sessions to Uphold Protections for LGBTQ Asylum Seekers Fleeing Persecution - May 23, 2018
• Senate and House Democrats Request IG Investigation of Illegal Hiring Allegations at DOJ – May 9, 2018
• CHC Urges DOJ to Reverse Decision to Impose Case Completion Quotas on IJs - April 26, 2018
• AG Sessions Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee - FY2019 Budget Hearing - Department of Justice - April 26, 2018
• AG Sessions Opening Statement Before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on CJS - April 25, 2018
  
  • AG Sessions orders that there be no pause to the Legal Orientation Program (LOP).
• House Democrats Demand that the DOJ Reinstate the LOP and ICH Programs – April 19, 2018
• Senate Democrats Demand that the DOJ Reinstate the LOP and ICH Programs – April 18, 2018
• On April 18, 2018, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration held a hearing on Strengthening and Reforming America's Immigration Court System. Read AILA’s Statement on Strengthening and Reforming America's Immigration Court System Hearing, as well as the prepared statements of Hilarie Bass, President of the American Bar Association; Ashley Tabaddor, NAIJ President; James McHenry, EOIR Director; and GAO Testimony for the Subcommittee on Border and Immigration.
• Senate and House Judiciary Democrats Condemn DOJ for Undermining Due Process – April 17, 2018
• House Democrats Demand DOJ Respond to Allegations of Politicization in the EOIR Hiring Process – April 17, 2018

Immigration Court Bills

• H.R. 7569: Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act – July 9, 2020
• S. 4011: Immigration Enforcement Moratorium Act – June 18, 2020
• S.663: Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2019 - March 6, 2019
• S. 2693: Immigration Court Improvement Act of 2018 - April 18, 2018

Attorney Practice Resources

• AILA’s COVID-19 Resource Center
• American Immigration Council: Standards of Review Applied by the Board of Immigration Appeals – April 22, 2020
• AILA and the American Immigration Council Submit Comments Opposing EOIR’s Proposed Rule Increasing Fee for Filings – March 30, 2020
• DOJ’s Immigration Court Practice Manual - Updated February 20, 2020
• AILA Practice Alert: EOIR Revised Form E-33, Attorneys Should Utilize New Form, January 29, 2020
• Featured Issue: EOIR’s Decision to Transfer Mesa Verde Detention Facility Cases to Van Nuys Immigration Court – January 27, 2020
• AILA Practice Pointer: Recent BIA Changes Likely to Alter Both Operations and Substance of Decisions – December 23, 2019
• Class Counsel Practice Advisory: Federal Court’s Preliminary Injunction Restores Asylum Eligibility for Asylum Seekers Turned Back at Ports of Entry Before July 16, 2019 – December 5, 2019
• AILA Practice Alert: Updates to the BIA Practice Manual – December 3, 2019
• Practice Advisory: Pereira v. Sessions – Updated Strategies and Considerations – December 3, 2019
• AILA Submits Comments on DOJ Interim Rule Making Organizational Changes to EOIR – October 25, 2019
• AILA Practice Pointer: EOIR Policy Memo, Use of Status Dockets – October 14, 2019
• Jeffrey S. Chase Blog: L-E-A-: How Much Did the AG Change? - August 11, 2019
• American Immigration Council, ACLU, NWIRP: FAQs After Federal Court Requires Immigration Courts to Continue to Provide Bond Hearings, Despite Matter of M-S- - August 9, 2019
• CLINIC Practice Pointer on Matter of L-E-A- – August 2, 2019
• Resources Relating to the Padilla Bond Hearing Class Members Case – Updated July 23, 2019
• AILA Practice Alert: Videos Replace Interpreters at Hearings – July 18, 2019
• FAQs After Federal Court Requires Immigration Courts to Continue to Provide Bond Hearings, Despite Matter of M-S- - July 3, 2019
• Practice Alert: EOIR Policy Memo, No Dark Courtrooms - May 29, 2019
• Council and NIPNLG Practice Advisory: Reinstatement of Removal - May 23, 2019
• American Immigration Council FOIA Litigation Results in Helpful Guidance on Motions Practice Before the BIA - May 22, 2019
• Is Your IJ Applying Matter of M-S- Now? – April 25, 2019
• Matter of M-S- Analysis and Q&A – April 17, 2019
• American Immigration Council: Practice Advisory on Notices to Appear - February 27, 2019
• Practice Alert: DHS Issuing NTAs with Fake Times and Dates - January 31, 2019
• Practice Alert: EOIR Policy Memos Impact Docketing of Family Unit and Asylum Cases - December 18, 2018
• Practice Pointer: Matter of S-O-G- & F-D-B- - November 13, 2018
• Chasing Down the Rumors: Immigration Adjudication Centers - October 19, 2018
• Practice Alert: Pereira v. Sessions and Matter of Bermudez-Cota - October 10, 2018
• The American Immigration Council: Motions for a Continuance - September 10, 2018
• AILA Practice Pointer: Matter of L-A-B-R- – August 28, 2018
• AILA Practice Pointer: Matter of Castro-Tum – August 28, 2018
• AILA Practice Pointer: After Matter of A-B- and USCIS Guidance, Don’t Forget to Argue for CAT Protection - July 26, 2018
  
  • ICE Guidance on Litigating Domestic Violence-Based Persecution Claims Following Matter of A-B- - July 11, 2018
• NIPNLG and IDP Practice Advisory on Pereira v. Sessions – July 16, 2018
  
• ICE Provides Guidance to OPLA Attorneys on Administrative Closure Following Matter of Castro-Tum – June 15, 2018
  • Guidance shared on Immigration Courtside on June 18, 2018
• American Immigration Council and ACLU: Practice Advisory on Administrative Closure Post-Castro-Tum - June 14, 2018
• CLINIC: Practice Pointer, Matter of Castro-Tum, 27 I&N Dec. 271 (A.G. 2018) - June 5, 2018
• AILA Call for Examples: Continuances and Administrative Closure Following EOIR Policy Changes - May 25, 2018
• The American Immigration Council: The Basics of Motions to Reopen EOIR-Issued Removal Orders - February 7, 2018
• Immigration Justice Campaign: Three-Part Video Series on Fearless Lawyering with Retired Immigration Judges - November 7, 2017

Reports

• TRAC Report: Asylum Denial Rates Continue to Climb – October 28, 2020
  
  • Individual Judge-by-Judge Asylum Decision Report Series
• New York City Bar Association: Report on the Independence of the Immigration Courts - October 21, 2020
• TRAC Report: The Life and Death of Administrative Closure – September 10, 2020
• TRAC Report: Immigration Court Completions Remain at Historic Lows Through July 2020 – August 20, 2020
• TRAC Report: More Immigration Judges Leaving the Bench – July 13, 2020
• University of Pennsylvania Law Review: Measuring In Absentia Removal in Immigration Court – March 2020
• TRAC Report: Representation at Bond Hearings Rising but Outcomes Have No Improved - June 18, 2020
• TRAC Report: TRAC Says Public Should Not Rely on Accuracy of Immigration Court Records – June 16, 2020
• DOJ OIG Releases Audit of EOIR's FY2019 Financial Management Practices - June 9, 2020
• CLINIC: FOIA Disclosures on In Absentia Removal Numbers Based on Legal Representation – March 27, 2020
• NAIJ: Immigration Judges Quotas and Deadlines Data Analysis FY 2019 – March 3, 2020
• Duke Law Journal Online (Jennifer Lee Koh): Barricading the Immigration Courts - February 2020
• TRAC Report: Use of Video in Place of In-Person Immigration Court Hearings – January 28, 2020
• TRAC Report: Cubans, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans Increase in Immigration Court Backlog – January 21, 2020
• TRAC Report: Asylum Decisions Vary Widely Across Judges and Courts – Latest Results – January 13, 2020
• Senator Merkley: Shattered Refuge, A U.S. Senate Investigation into the Trump Administration’s Gutting of Asylum – November 14, 2019
• TRAC Report – Incomplete and Garbled Immigration Court Data Suggest Lack of Commitment to Accuracy – October 31, 2019
• TRAC Report: Most Released Families Attend Immigration Court Hearings - June 18, 2019
• Innovation Law Lab and SPLC: The Attorney General's Judges: How the U.S. Immigration Courts Became a Deportation Tool - June 12, 2019
• ABA Report: 2019 Update Report Reforming the Immigration System - March 20, 2019
• AILA Report: Cogs in the Deportation Machine - March 14, 2018 See Section E, page 13.
• ACUS Draft Report: Non-ALJ Adjudicators in Federal Agencies: Status, Selection, Oversight, and Removal – February 14, 2018
• GAO Report: Actions Needed to Reduce Case Backlog and Address Long-Standing Management and Operational Challenges – June 2017
• Booz Allen Hamilton Immigration Court Report: Legal Case Study - April 6, 2017
• American Immigration Council Report: Access to Counsel in Immigration Court - September 28, 2016
• DOJ OIG - An Investigation of Allegations of Politized Hiring by Monica Goodling and Other Staff in the Office of the AG - July 28, 2008

AILA Resolutions

• AILA National’s Resolution on Immigration Court Reform and Funding – February 3, 2018
• AILA Resolution on Hiring Immigration Judges – September 16, 2017

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 13040204.