Featured Issue: Representing Clients Before ICE
This resource page combines resources for attorneys representing clients before ICE. For information about why AILA is calling for the reduction and phasing out of immigration detention, please see our Featured Issue Page: Immigration Detention and Alternatives to Detention.
Quick Links
- Seeking Stays of Removal
- AILA Practice Pointers and Alerts (continually updated)
- Practice Advisory: Representing Detained Clients in the Virtual Landscape
- Practice Pointer: How to Locate Clients Apprehended by ICE
- Practice Pointer: Preparing for an Order of Supervision Appointment with ICE-ERO
- AILA ICE Liaison Agenda and Meeting Minutes
Communicating with OPLA, ERO, and CROs
The Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) includes 1300 attorneys who represent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in immigration removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). OPLA litigates all removal cases as well as provides legal counsel to ICE personnel. At present, there are 25 field locations throughout the United States.
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) manages all aspects of immigration enforcement from arrest, detention, and removal. ERO has 24 field office locations. ERO also manages an “alternative to detention” program that relies almost exclusively on the “Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP)” to monitor individuals in removal proceedings.
Since 2016, ICE has had an Office of Partnership and Engagement (formerly Office of Community Engagement) to be a link between the agency and stakeholders. As part of this office, Community Relations Officers (CROS) are assigned to every field office to work with local stakeholders such as attorneys and nonprofit organizations.
*Headquarters does not provide direct contact numbers or emails for individual employees.* (AILA Liaison Meeting with ICE on April 26, 2023)(AILA Doc. No. 23033004). However, attorneys can contact Chapter Local ICE Liaisons as they may have this information provided to them via local liaison engagement.
- DHS/ICE/OPLA Chief Counsel Contact Information [last updated in 2024, this list no longer appears on ICE.gov as of 1/27/25]
- Contact Information for Local OPLA Offices [last updated in 2024, this information no longer appears on ICE.gov as of 1/27/25]
- ERO Field Offices Contact Information*
- OPE Community Relations Officers
- ICE Check-In Scheduling Website
- ICE Online Change of Address Website
Latest on Enforcement Priorities & Prosecutorial Discretion
Executive Order 14159 (90 FR 8443, 1/29/25) directs DHS to set priorities that protect the public safety and national security interests of the American people, including by ensuring the successful enforcement of final orders of removal, enforcement of the INA and other Federal laws related to the illegal entry and unlawful presence of [noncitizens] in the United States and the enforcement of the purposes of this order. Given the January 25, 2025, confirmation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, a memorandum detailing enforcement priorities may be issued in the coming weeks.
An unpublished ICE memo from acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello entitled “Interim Guidance: Civil Immigration Enforcement Actions in or near Courthouses” makes reference to targeted noncitizens and includes:
- National security or public safety threats;
- Those with criminal convictions;
- Gang members;
- Those who have been ordered removed from the United States but have failed to depart; and/or
- Those who have re-entered the country illegally after being removed.
Procedures and email inboxes created under the Biden Administration to request Prosecutorial Discretion no longer appear on the ICE website. AILA members are encouraged to review current DOJ regulations entitled “Efficient Case and Docket Management in Immigration Proceedings” for alternative basis for seeking termination or administrative closure.
Access to Counsel
- ERO eFile:
- An online system developed to electronically file G-28s with ERO. Attorneys and accredited representatives may register for ERO eFile accounts and may also sponsor law students and law graduates who work under their supervision. See AILA’s practice alert (AILA Doc. No. 24051506) for more information.
- ICE Attorney Information and Resources Page
- AILA Practice Alert: Updates to the ICE Attorney Information and Resource Page
Filing Administrative Complaints on Behalf of Detained and Formerly Detained Clients
- Online Intake Form for the Detention Ombudsman (myOIDO)
- Available for complaints for issues in ICE and CBP Custody nationwide, including to submit complaints about access to counsel problems on behalf of currently or previously detained clients.
- Online Complaint Form for DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL)
- Oversight of Immigration Detention: An Overview - May 16, 2022
(provides a list of agencies with which attorneys may file administrative complaints of detention center violations) - Immigration Judge Complaint Toolkit – August 31, 2022
- Practice Alert: Template for CRCL Complaint Regarding Failures to Provide Language Access – July 16, 2021
Selected ICE Policies and Current Status
For comprehensive comparison of current and prior ICE policies, please review the “Immigration Policy Tracker (IPTP).” The IPTP is a project of Professor Lucas Guttentag working with teams of Stanford and Yale law students and leading national immigration experts.
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Browse the Featured Issue: Representing Clients Before ICE collection
BIA Finds IJs Violated Due Process Rights of Pro Se Asylum Seeker
Unpublished BIA decision finds pro se asylum seeker was denied fair hearing where IJ scheduled merits hearing two weeks after submission of application and denied continuance for additional time to secure counsel and corroborating evidence. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of E-C-Q-, 11/17/17)
BIA Says Whether Violation of a Protection Order Renders a Noncitizen Removable Is Not Governed by the Categorical Approach
The BIA held that in considering whether a violation of a protection order renders a noncitizen removable, an IJ should consider the probative and reliable evidence regarding what a state court has determined about the violation. Matter of Obshatko, 27 I&N Dec. 173 (BIA 2017)
CA6 Grants CAT Relief to Woman Who Would Be Subject to an “Honor Killing” or “Protective Custody” in Jordan
The court granted the petition for review of the BIA’s denial of relief under the CAT, holding that the BIA erred in concluding that the petitioner failed to establish that it was more likely than not that she would be tortured upon removal to Jordan. (Kamar v. Sessions, 11/17/17)
Preview of Free On-Demand Webinar on Bond Hearings
The AILA/American Immigration Council’s Immigration Justice Campaign and the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) have produced a bond hearings webinar that is designed particularly for attorneys who are new to these proceedings.
District Court Issues Preliminary Injunction in Favor of Asylum Seekers at Buffalo Federal Detention Center
A district court issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Buffalo Federal Detention Center to comply with a 2009 ICE directive on evaluating parole requests for asylum seekers and to provide asylum seekers detained for six months or more with bond hearings. (Abdi v. Duke, 11/17/17)
CA9 Finds Petitioner’s Conviction for Felony Hit and Run in California to be a CIMT
The court denied the petition for review, applying the modified categorical approach to conclude that the petitioner’s conviction for felony hit and run under California Vehicle Code §20001(a) was a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT). (Conejo-Bravo v. Sessions, 11/17/17)
AILA Policy Brief: How Dreamer Protection Bills Measure Up
AILA Policy Brief comparing the leading bills that have been introduced to protect Dreamers, including the Dream Act (S. 1615 and H.R. 3440), the American Hope Act (H.R. 3591), the Recognizing America’s Children Act (H.R. 1468), and the SUCCEED Act (S.1852).
Video: AILA Urges Congress to Pass the Dream Act
On Tuesday, November 14, as more than 150 AILA members across the country met with congressional offices to urge them to pass a clean Dream Act, AILA members and staff met with Congressman Hoyer in DC. AILA's Executive Director shares why this movement is so important.
USCIS Provides Guidance on DACA Renewal Requests Affected by Mail Service Issues
USCIS stated that it will accept DACA renewal requests from individuals who resubmit their requests with individualized proof that the cause for receipt after the 10/5/17 deadline was the result of USPS mail service error. USCIS will also contact requestors who timely filed but were rejected.
Senators Urge DHS to Allow Resubmission of DACA Renewal Applications Received Past Deadline
On 11/15/17, 24 Senators wrote to Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke to express their concern that DHS had rejected DACA renewal applications received after the deadline due to USPS processing delays. The Senators urged that DHS reverse its decision and allow individuals to resubmit applications.
BIA Reverses Denial of Cancellation Where IJ Relied on Gang Allegation in Police Report
Unpublished BIA decision reverses discretionary denial of cancellation application where IJ placed undue weight on unsourced allegation in police report that respondent was an active gang member. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of V-A-C-, 11/15/17)
Former National Security Leaders Urge Congress to Pass the Dream Act
On 11/14/17, a group of former national security leaders from both parties urged congressional leaders to pass the bipartisan, bicameral Dream Act by 12/8/17. The group highlighted the urgent need to protect Dreamers serving in the Armed Forces and recruits waiting to start boot camp.
CA10 Finds Petitioner’s Prior Colorado Theft Conviction Was a CIMT Rendering Him Ineligible for Cancellation of Removal
The court denied the petition for review, upholding the BIA’s determination that petitioner had not shown that he was eligible for cancellation of removal, and concluding the IJ did not deprive him of due process by refusing to recuse from hearing his case. (Lucio-Rayos v. Sessions, 11/14/17)
AILA Minutes from Joint Liaison Meeting with ICE HSI and DOJ IER (11/14/17)
Unofficial minutes from the 11/14/17 meeting between the AILA Verification and Documentation Liaison Committee, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and DOJ Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section. Topics include electronic I-9s, DACA recipients, E-Verify and more.
Getting Through the Reinstatement Maze
It often seems like the deck is stacked against our clients, particularly when the government uses tools like reinstatement of removal that are complex to defend against. Reinstatement sounds simple, but in practice the government can mistakenly apply it or fail to ensure safeguards are taken to pr
National ICE Council Sends Letter to President Trump on Gross Mismanagement
National ICE Council President Chris Crane sent letter to President Trump asking him to “step in to assist the men and women of ICE in our efforts to eliminate corruption and gross mismanagement within the Agency.”
Manufacturers Call on Congress to Protect DACA Recipients
On 11/13/17, the National Association of Manufacturers, along with over 30 organizations from the manufacturing industry from around the country, urged Congress to pass legislation to assure DACA recipients that their future is safe.
BIA Holds Oklahoma Statute Not a Firearms Offense
Unpublished BIA decision holds that carrying a firearm while under the influence of alcohol under Okla. Stat. tit. 21 §1289.9 was not a firearms offense because it contained no exception for antique firearms. Special thanks to IRAC. (Matter of Martinez-Guzman, 11/13/17)
A Profile of Current DACA Recipients by Education, Industry, and Occupation
The Migration Policy Institute provides a fact sheet that examines predicted DACA expirations, as well as offers estimates for the educational and workforce characteristics of the nearly 690,000 current DACA holders.
Fearless Lawyering: Winning Strategies – A View from the Bench
Listen to this recording from the 2017 California Chapters Conference where recently retired immigration judges offer their perspectives to help lawyers successfully navigate some of the thornier issues that can arise in immigration court and be the best advocates for their clients.
Border Patrol Arrests Former DACA Recipient
CBP announced that the El Centro Sector Border Patrol arrested a 23-year-old man, who according to CBP, is a Mexican citizen who was previously removed after he was arrested attempting to illegally enter the United States. He was booked pending charges of re-entry after removal.
CA5 Rejects Lack of Notice and Due Process Claims Where Petitioner Failed to Provide DHS with Current Mailing Address
The court held that the BIA did not abuse its discretion in dismissing the petition for review and declining to administratively close the case, and that it lacked jurisdiction to review the BIA's refusal to reopen proceedings sua sponte. (Hernandez-Castillo v. Sessions, 11/8/17)
District Court Orders Release of “Operation Indonesian Surrender” Foreign National Pursuant to Preexisting Order of Supervision
The court ruled that ICE did not follow its own regulations, and that it denied due process to foreign national who did not violate any condition of his release but was not given opportunity to prepare for orderly departure as provided in release notification. (Rombot v. Souza, 11/8/17)
On Immigration, It’s Time to Start Listening to Each Other
When it comes to civil dialogue, we are living in a low moment in our nation's history. Honest debates that yield real solutions to our common problems seem like a quaint notion—and that disturbs me. As the executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, an organization of 15,000
Three-Part Video Series on Fearless Lawyering with Retired Immigration Judges
Produced by the Justice Campaign, retired Immigration Judge Hon. Eliza Klein joins Hon. Paul Wickham Schmidt, Hon. William P. Joyce, and Hon. Sarah Burr to discuss effective fearless lawyering tactics, including arguing for discretion, perfecting the record for appeal, and motions to suppress.