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
CA4 Finds IJ Erred by Failing to Inform Petitioner of Bond Amount and Deadline Before Granting Voluntary Departure
The court held that the BIA erred in concluding that the IJ was not required to advise petitioner of the bond requirement before granting voluntary departure, and found that it was insufficient for the IJ to provide the required advisals in the order itself. (Solis-Flores v. Garland, 9/11/23)
CA5 Upholds Asylum Denial to Former Employee of Ministry of Justice in El Salvador
The court upheld the denial of asylum to the Salvadoran petitioner, rejecting her argument that the BIA’s application of Matter of Fuentes was too broad because it rendered any government employee, even an office worker, ineligible for relief. (Martinez-De Umana v. Garland, 9/8/23)
BIA Says Determining Reasonableness of Respondent’s Failure to Seek Assistance from Authorities Is Fact-Specific Inquiry
The BIA held that, for purposes of asylum and withholding of removal, determining whether the government in the respondent’s native country is or was unable or unwilling to protect the respondent from harm is a fact-specific inquiry. Matter of C–G–T–, 28 I&N Dec. 740 (BIA 2023)
CA10 Upholds Dismissal of Motion to Reopen Where Petitioner Failed to Voluntarily Depart or File Administrative Motion Within 60 Days
The court denied the petitioner’s motion for reconsideration of the BIA’s dismissal of his motion to reopen proceedings, finding that he had failed to voluntarily depart or file an administrative motion within 60 calendar days pursuant to INA §240B(b)(2). (Velázquez v. Garland, 9/8/23)
CA9 Holds That Reasonable Fear Screening Proceedings Are Consistent with Statutory Provisions Governing Withholding of Removal
The court followed Alvarado-Herrera v. Garland to hold that the reasonable fear screening procedures established by 8 CFR §§208.31 and 1208.31 are consistent with the statutory provisions governing withholding of removal. (Alonso-Juarez v. Garland, 9/8/23)
EOIR NPRM on Appellate Procedures and Administrative Closure
EOIR Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to restore the regulatory text to reflect procedures that were in place prior to the previous administration’s enjoined December 2020 final rule “Appellate Procedures and Decisional Finality in Immigration Proceedings; Administrative Closure.” (88 FR 62242, 9/8/23)
AILA Welcomes Biden Administration Effort to Restore Integrity to America’s Immigration Courts
AILA Senior Director of Government Relations Greg Chen welcomed efforts to restore the immigration court system’s integrity as “vital to preventing future political interference with the courts by the executive branch” while urging Congress to establish an Article I immigration court system.
ICE Invites Stakeholders to September 13, Engagement for Legal Service Providers on FERM
The Family Expedited Removal Management (FERM) program of non-detained credible fear interviews for families is expanding to several new cities. If you are interested in attending the Wednesday, 9/13 engagement, RSVP by Monday, 9/11 at noon (ET).
AILA and the Council Issue Joint Comment on DHS Interim Final Rule regarding Electronic Immigration Bond Notifications
AILA and the American Immigration Council submitted a joint comment on a DHS interim final rule on immigration bond notifications highlighting the need for clarity, issues with the electronic system known as CeBONDS, and recommending ICE continue to permit bond payments in person.
EOIR to Host National Stakeholder Meeting for Law School Immigration Clinics
EOIR invites faculty, staff, and students from law school immigration clinics to attend a national stakeholder meeting via Webex on 9/21/23 focused on pro bono advocacy.
Practice Alert: ICE Transitioning to E-Payment for Bonds
AILA’s ICE Committee updated its practice alert on ICE’s introduction of a web-based immigration bond system called CeBONDS to note that ICE appears to continue to allow bond payments in person on a case-by-case basis. However, ICE is working towards a full electronic bond payment process.
Practice Alert: Office of The Detention Ombudsman Case Intake Process
AILA provides a summary of the Detention Ombudsman Case Intake Process and written responses to questions posed during an open forum session with the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) at the 2023 AILA Annual Conference.
EOIR 60-Day Notice and Request for Comment on Proposed Revisions to Form EOIR-59
EOIR 60-day notice and request for comment on proposed revisions to Form EOIR-59, Certification and Release of Records. Comments due 11/6/23. (88 FR 61615, 9/7/23)
CA4 Upholds Denial of CAT Relief to Former MS-13 Gang Member Who Feared Torture by Gangs and Police in Honduras
The court held that substantial evidence supported the BIA’s and IJ’s conclusion that the petitioner had failed to show that it was more likely than not he would be tortured with the acquiescence of a public official if removed to Honduras. (Ponce-Flores v. Garland, 9/6/23)
USCIS 30-Day Notice and Request for Comment on Proposed Revisions to Form I-589
USCIS 30-day notice and request for comment on proposed revisions to Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal. Comments are due 10/5/23. (88 FR 60703, 9/5/23)
AILA Submits Amicus to the Supreme Court on Threshold Eligibility Requirement for Cancellation of Removal Determinations
AILA submitted an amicus brief in Wilkinson v. Garland to the Supreme Court highlighting the importance that federal courts retain jurisdiction to review an agency determination for the purposes of cancellation of removal.
CA6 Remands for BIA to Reconsider Asylum Claim of Petitioner from China Who Practices Christianity
The court found that the BIA erred in determining that petitioner had failed to show a well-founded fear of future persecution for his practice of Christianity, and also erred in failing to conduct a complete analysis in determining whether relocation was reasonable. (Lin v. Garland, 9/1/23)
CA7 Upholds Asylum Denial to Petitioner Who Allegedly Faced Persecution in Kyrgystan for Protesting Government Mining Rights Deal
Although it shared some of petitioner’s concerns about the IJ’s review of corroborating evidence, the court held that petitioner’s account of events that led him to flee Kyrgyzstan contained too many inconsistencies to overturn the IJ’s adverse credibility finding. (Uulu v. Garland, 9/1/23)
CA8 Finds Petitioner with Emotional and Mental Health Issues Failed to Show Exceptional and Extremely Unusual Hardship
Upholding the denial of the motion to reopen following the denial of cancellation, the court found that the BIA rationally determined that petitioner’s evidence of emotional and mental health issues failed to show exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. (Trejo-Gamez v. Garland, 8/30/23)
CA2 Says IJs Must Consider Ramsameachire Factors in Assessing Credibility During Border Interviews
The court held that an IJ may not rely on a border interview to find an asylum applicant not credible without first considering the factors set forth in Ramsameachire v. Ashcroft, if the record indicates that those factors may be relevant. (Pomavilla-Zaruma v. Garland, 8/30/23)
Find a Unicorn, Slay a Dragon: The Categorical Approach, Circa 2023
Michael Vastine describes how he has deployed the “‘categorical approach' challenging many settled notions about what crimes should have immigration consequences“ and previews the upcoming Fall Conference track where “experts will summarize the dominant lines of cases from each Court of Appeal
CA8 Upholds CAT Denial to Former Child Solider Who Claimed He Would Be Tortured in South Sudan Due to His Mental Illness
Upholding the denial of Convention Against Torture (CAT) relief, the court held that the BIA did not err in finding that petitioner, a former child solder, had not shown it was more likely than not that the South Sudanese government would torture him upon return. (Deng v. Garland, 8/25/23)
CA7 Upholds Denial of Asylum to Petitioner Who Alleged She Was a Victim of Domestic Abuse
The court found that substantial evidence supported the IJ’s and BIA’s denial of asylum as to the petitioner, who had fled with her daughters from Guatemala where they were allegedly victims of domestic abuse. (Munoz-Rivera, et al. v. Garland, 8/24/23)
CA9 Holds That Appointment and Removal Process for IJs and BIA Members Comports with Article II of the Constitution
Denying the petition for review, the court held that the appointment and removal process for IJs and members of the BIA comports with Article II of the U.S. Constitution. (Duenas v. Garland, 7/27/23, amended 8/24/23)
Recent Child Labor Violations Highlight Need for Critical Labor Reforms
In this blog post, AILA member Shelly Anand and co-author Audrey Moor describe how and why current labor laws fail to protect child workers and urge immigrant rights' advocates and labor law reform advocates to work together to pass legislative reforms that will ensure clear and lasting protections.