Featured Issue: U.S. Immigration Courts under Trump 2.0
The U.S. immigration court system plays a critical role in upholding due process and ensuring fair hearings for individuals facing deportation. However, since January 20, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has implemented significant changes that challenge the structural integrity of these courts. This page aims to provide up-to-date information on the policy and legal shifts affecting the U.S. immigration court system.
Latest Updates
Updates from EOIR
Browse the Featured Issue: U.S. Immigration Courts under Trump 2.0 collection
BIA Remands Record Due to Delay in Forwarding Record on Appeal
Unpublished BIA decision remands the record due to the passage of time where the respondent was ordered removed in 1987 but the record on appeal was only recently received. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of Gonzalez-Lopez, 9/21/16)
CA1 Finds Petitioner Deliberately and Voluntarily Used a Fraudulent Japanese Passport to Gain Entry into U.S.
The court upheld the determinations of two IJs and the BIA that the petitioner, a native and citizen of China who misrepresented himself as a Japanese citizen and national, was removable because he had procured an immigration benefit through willful misrepresentation. (Li v. Lynch, 9/20/16)
White House Fact Sheet on the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees
The White House released a fact sheet on the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees hosted on 9/20/16 in New York by President Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as well as leaders from Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico, and Sweden.
CA9 Finds District Court Lacked Jurisdiction to Consider Right-to-Counsel Claims Brought by Unaccompanied Minors
In a class action brought by unaccompanied minors alleging that they have due process and statutory rights to appointed counsel in immigration proceedings, the court found no jurisdiction to consider the minors’ constitutional and statutory claims. (J.E. F.M. v. Lynch, 9/20/16)
CA10 Says INA’s Definition of “Crime of Violence” Is Unconstitutionally Vague
Applying the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v. United States, the court held that the INA’s definition of “crime of violence,” which expressly incorporates 18 USC §16(b)’s definition of “crime of violence,” is unconstitutionally vague. (Golicov v. Lynch, 9/19/16)
CA11 Finds Conviction Under Florida Controlled Substance Statute Is an Aggravated Felony
The court upheld the BIA, finding that petitioner’s conviction for violating Florida’s Possession with Intent to Sell, Deliver, or Manufacture a Controlled Substance statute constituted an aggravated felony rendering him removable under INA §237(a)(2)(A)(iii). (Spaho v. Att'y Gen., 9/19/16)
BIA Solicits Amicus Briefs on Whether a “Wave Through” Entry Constitutes an Admission in “Any Status” Under INA §240A(a)(2)
The BIA invites interested members of the public to file amicus curiae briefs on whether a “wave through” entry constitutes an admission in “any status” for the purposes of the seven years continuous residence requirement under INA §240A(a)(2). Briefs are due by 10/19/16.
Amicus Brief in Flores Supporting Plaintiffs’ Motion to Enforce Settlement
AILA and the American Immigration Council filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs’ motion to enforce settlement and appoint a special monitor in the Flores settlement agreement lawsuit.
Flores Response to Motion to Enforce and Opposition for Evidentiary Hearing
The plaintiffs’ combined response to the motion to enforce the Flores settlement agreement and appoint a special monitor, as well opposition to defendants’ motion for evidentiary hearing.
BIA Dismisses DHS Interlocutory Appeal Involving SIJS
Unpublished BIA decision declines to consider interlocutory DHS appeal challenging administrative closure pending adjudication of visa petition for SIJ status. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of R-L-O-H-, 9/19/16)
BIA Vacates Finding of Removability Based on Plea Under People v. West
Unpublished BIA decision vacates finding that conviction was an aggravated felony where complaint only recited statutory language and respondent entered plea under People v. West and did not plead guilty “as charged.” Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of Ponce-Zacarias, 9/16/16)
CRS Report on Syrian Refugee Admissions and Resettlement in the United States
A Congressional Research Service report details the U.S. refugee admissions process and the placement and resettlement of arriving refugees in the United States.
DOJ Notice of Public Meeting of ICE Advisory Committee on Family Residential Centers
DOJ notice that the ICE Advisory Committee on Family Residential Centers (ACFRC) will meet in Washington, DC on 10/7/16 to discuss ACFRC subcommittee reports and vote on potential recommendations. The meeting will be open to the public, and registration is required. (81 FR 63784, 9/16/16)
Solicitor General Apologizes to the Supreme Court, Again
The moral of this blog post is two-fold. First, stranger things have happened, and second, do not believe everything someone tells you because just saying it does not make it so. On August 26, 2016, Acting Solicitor General Ian Heath Gershengorn penned a letter to the Honorable Clerk of the Supreme
BIA Says INA §101(a)(43)(G) Encompasses Extortionate Takings
The BIA held that a “theft offense” under INA §101(a)(43)(G), which requires the taking of property “without consent,” includes extortionate takings, in which consent is coerced by the wrongful use of force, fear, or threats. Matter of Ibarra, 26 I&N Dec. 809 (BIA 2016)
TRAC Report Finds Priority Cases Overwhelm Immigration Court’s Capacity to Handle
This TRAC report finds that, as of the end of August 2016, the number of IJs continues to prove insufficient to handle the growing backlog in the immigration courts, particularly for priority cases like those involving UACs and women with children, which account for 31% of the court’s backlog.
TRAC Report on Individuals Released on Bond in Immigration Court Proceedings
This TRAC report finds that court records so far demonstrate that the release on bond of increasing numbers of individuals in immigration court proceedings has not resulted in any significant increase in those who abscond and fail to show up for their immigration hearings.
CA9 Finds Petitioner Listed as Derivative on NACARA Application Was Not “Admitted in Any Status”
The court held that a cancellation of removal applicant has not been “admitted in any status” for purposes of establishing the requisite residency by virtue of being listed as a derivative beneficiary on a parent’s applications for asylum and relief under NACARA. (Fuentes v. Lynch, 9/14/16)
CA8 Upholds Adverse Credibility Determination Based on Inconsistencies in Petitioner’s Asylum Interview
The court held that the IJ identified, and the BIA adopted, specific, cogent reasons for making an adverse credibility determination as to the petitioner that were supported by substantial evidence. (Chakhov v. Lynch, 9/14/16)
CA8 Upholds Denial of Withholding of Removal to Guatemalan Brothers
The court upheld the BIA’s finding that petitioners’ family was no different from any other Guatemalan family who has experienced gang violence, and that there was no evidence petitioners’ mistreatment was associated with their membership in a social group. (Cambara-Cambara v. Lynch, 9/13/16)
USCIS Performance Data on DACA Applications Through Third Quarter of FY2016
USCIS statistics on I-821D DACA applications, broken down by intake (accepted and rejected), biometrics, case status (received, approved, denied, or pending), and whether the application was an initial or renewal application for FY2012 through FY2016. FY2016 data is broken down by quarter.
USCIS Update on DACA Renewal Requests
USCIS posted an update on its website stating that its current goal is to process DACA renewal requests within 120 days, and that DACA applicants whose renewal requests have been pending for more than 105 days may contact USCIS.
CA1 Finds Appellant’s False Health Care Claim Caused More Than $10,000 in Losses
Applying the circumstance-specific approach of Nijhawan v. Holder, the court affirmed USCIS’s determination that appellant’s false health care claim caused more than $10,000 in losses, and thus upheld the denial of appellant’s naturalization application. (Nanje v. Chaves, 9/9/16)
DHS Updates 8 CFR to Correct Outdated References
DHS final rule amending 8 CFR to update various outdated references, including provisions listing specific immigration officials authorized to perform various functions that did not reflect the current DHS structure. (81 FR 62353, 9/9/16)
BIA Clarifies Prior Decision in Matter of Guzman-Polanco
The BIA held that controlling circuit court law should be followed regarding the question of whether conduct such as the use or threatened use of poison to injure another person involves sufficient "force" to constitute a crime of violence. Matter of Guzman-Polanco, 26 I&N Dec. 806 (BIA 2016)