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
CA10 Finds That BIA Lacks Authority to Reconsider Removal Order of Petitioner Who Reentered Illegally
Denying the petition for review, the court held that INA §241(a)(5) clearly strips the BIA of authority to review a prior order of removal or to grant any relief provided by the INA once a removed noncitizen illegally reenters the United States. (Zapata-Chacon v. Garland, 10/25/22)
CA9 Says It Lacks Jurisdiction to Review Expedited Removal Orders, Including Review of Constitutional Claims
The court held that it lacked jurisdiction over the petition for review, finding that Congress has clearly precluded it from asserting jurisdiction over the merits of individual expedited removal orders, even with regard to constitutional challenges. (Mendoza-Linares v. Garland, 10/24/22)
CA4 Upholds Denial of Asylum to Salvadoran Petitioner Who Witnessed Gang Activity and Filed Police Report
The court held that the petitioner’s proposed social group consisting of “Salvadoran women who are witnesses to gang criminal activity and targeted because they filed a police report” was not a cognizable particular social group (PSG) under the INA. (Morales v. Garland, 10/24/22)
What Happened When I Actually Helped a Military Service Member
AILA Pro Bono Committee member Samantha Jiménez shares two inspiring examples of cases she was able to resolve for Military Service members through AILA's Military Assistance Program, using her immigration law expertise to give families much needed safety and security as their loved ones deploy.
Available MAP Cases
Use your immigration knowledge to help a military service member in need today. Take a case through the AILA Military Assistance Program’s new online system! Search by case type or location, share cases with colleagues, and sign up directly for a case through this easy-to-use online portal.
CA1 Holds That BIA Applied Incorrect Standard in Upholding IJ’s Denial of CAT Relief to Honduran Petitioner
The court concluded that, by requiring a showing of willful acceptance rather than willful blindness, the BIA applied the incorrect standard of review in upholding the IJ’s denial of Convention Against Torture (CAT) relief to the Honduran petitioner. (H.H. v. Garland, 10/21/22)
CA1 Says BIA Erred in Holding That People Who Are Incorrectly Perceived to Be Gang Members Cannot Be a PSG
Granting the petition for review and remanding, the court found that the BIA erred in holding that a group of people who are incorrectly perceived to be members of gangs cannot, as a categorical matter, constitute a particular social group (PSG) under the INA. (Chavez v. Garland, 10/21/22)
CA9 Remands CAT Claim Where Record Showed That Petitioner’s Attackers Were Guatemalan Police Officers
Granting the petition for review, the court held that the record showed that two of the petitioner’s attackers were police officers, and that the police officers’ participation in his attack showed acquiescence on the part of the Guatemalan government. (De Leon Lopez v. Garland, 10/21/22)
AILA and Partners Send Letter to Congress Urging Creation of Permanent Protections for Dreamers
AILA and partners sent a letter urging congressional leaders to swiftly pass legislative protections for Dreamers.
CA9 Upholds Denial of Asylum to Chinese Petitioner Who Claimed He Was Persecuted in China for His Christian Faith
The court found that the BIA’s affirmance of the IJ’s adverse credibility determination was supported by substantial evidence, considering the totality of the administrative record, particularly the IJ’s findings about the petitioner’s demeanor and lack of candor. (Dong v. Garland, 10/19/22)
EOIR 30-Day Notice and Request for Comment on Proposed Changes to Form EOIR-26
EOIR 30-day notice and request for comment on proposed changes to Form EOIR-26, Notice of Appeal from a Decision of an Immigration Judge. Comments are due 11/17/22. (87 FR 63101, 10/18/22)
What Are the Parts of a Notice to Appear (NTA)?
Removal proceedings begin with the filing of a Notice to Appear (NTA). This tutorial will explain what is found on an NTA.
Speaker: Cain Oulahan
Obtaining a Stay of Removal Through Litigation
AILA author Robert Pauw explains how he determines whether a potential client might be well-served by pursuing federal litigation, including a situation where a removal order is final and unappealable but the person is eligible for some type of collateral relief.
District Court Rules That DHS May Continue to Accept Renewal Applications for Current DACA Recipients
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen issued an order ruling that DHS may continue to accept and grant Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications for current DACA recipients who obtained DACA status on or before 7/16/21. (Texas, et al. v. United States, et al., 10/14/22)
CA1 Finds BIA Did Not Abuse Its Discretion in Denying Petitioner’s Motion to Remand Based on New Evidence
The court upheld the BIA’s decision to deny the petitioner’s motion to remand based on new evidence—namely, that the petitioner’s life partner had been diagnosed with brain cancer—finding that there was no error of law in the BIA’s explanation of its conclusion. (Moreno v. Garland, 10/14/22)
T Visas: How to Screen Consultations for Possible T Visa Relief
Learn how to ask the right questions so you don’t overlook possible T visa eligibility.
Speaker: Amy Cheung
Six Tips to Prepare for Direct Examination in an Asylum Hearing
How to organize and prepare for direct examination in court.
Speaker: Johanna Kelley
CA2 Says in Context of VTC Hearing IJ Completes Proceedings Under INA §242(b)(2) in Same Location Where They Began
The court held that, in the context of a video teleconference (VTC) hearing, an IJ completes proceedings under INA §242(b)(2) in the same location where they began unless there is evidence of a change of venue, and also denied the petitioner’s motion for a stay. (Sarr v. Garland, 10/12/22)
CA9 Declines to Rehear Mendez-Colin v. Garland En Banc
The court denied the rehearing en banc of Mendez-Colin v. Garland, an unpublished opinion in which the court applied Singh v. Garland to conclude that the petitioner had not received statutorily compliant notice before his removal hearing. (Mendez-Colin v. Garland, 10/12/22)
CA9 Declines to Rehear Singh v. Garland En Banc
The court denied the rehearing en banc of Singh v. Garland, in which it held that if a noncitizen does not receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) in a single document, their in absentia removal order is subject to rescission pursuant to INA §240(b)(5)(C)(ii). (Singh v. Garland, 10/12/22)
CA3 Finds Permissive Inference in Pennsylvania Shoplifting Statute Did Not Impermissibly Shift Burden onto Defendants
Where the Pennsylvania statute under which petitioner had been convicted of shoplifting directed juries to infer intent to steal whenever someone conceals merchandise, the court held that the inference was only permissive, and denied the petition for review. (Baghdad v. Att’y Gen., 10/11/22)
AILA Members’ Letter to the Editor Template – Protect DACA/Dreamers
We encourage AILA members to personalize and submit a Letter to the Editor in response to an article that appears in their local paper focused on immigration; the template can serve as a guide as you urge Congress to act.
Agenda from AILA EOIR Liaison Meeting with EOIR
AILA provides the agenda from the 10/11/22 meeting with EOIR.
Featured Issue: Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)
Follow this page for more updates on the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). AILA will update this page on the winddown as they become available.
EOIR Extends Automatic Acceptance of Documents Filed Late Due to Hurricane Ian
Due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, EOIR extended the automatic acceptance of documents filed late with the Miami, Krome, and Orlando Immigration Courts through 11/25/22. The Board will also exercise its discretionary authority to automatically accept late filings. See notice for additional details.