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
ICE Policy Directive: Parole of Arriving Aliens Found to Have a Credible Fear of Persecution or Torture
On 12/8/09, ICE released policy directive 11002.1 regarding the granting of parole for arriving aliens found to have a credible fear of persecution or torture.
ICE Memorandum on National Fugitives Operations Program: Priorities, Goals, and Expectations
A 12/08/09 ICE memo from John Morton, Assistant Secretary, clarifies the enforcement priorities of the National Fugitives Operations Program within the Office of Detention and Removal Operations. This memo supersedes previously issued fugitive operations guidance.
Article Outlines New Surviving Relative Legislation
This article by Brent Renison of Surviving Spouses Against Deportation outlines measures under DHS Appropriations Act for FY2010 that expand the right of survivors to obtain permanent resident status despite the death of a qualifying relative.
DHS OIG Report on Age Determination Practices for Unaccompanied Alien Children in ICE Custody
DHS OIG issued a report on age determination practices for unaccompanied alien children in ICE custody, concluding that ICE recognizes the limits of dental or skeletal radiographs and strives to obtain additional information for age determinations.
CA8 Finds State Conviction for Making Terroristic Threats Constitutes Aggravated Felony
CA8 denied petition finding petitioner's conviction under Minnesota law for making terroristic threats constituted an aggravated felony because it involved a crime of violence. (Olmsted v. Holder, 12/4/09)
DHS Issues DRO Reports on Asylum Applicants in Detention
On 12/4/09, DHS issued Detention and Removal Operations reports on asylum applicants in detention and detainees who did not apply for asylum as required by Sections 903 and 904 of the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (Public Law 105-277).
List of ICE Detention Facilities (12/04/09)
ICE provided list of Detention Facilities as of 12/04/09.
CA2 Affirms Denial of Citizenship Based on Attempted Bank Fraud Conviction
The court affirmed summary judgment, finding Plaintiff was statutorily barred from naturalizing because of his aggravated felony conviction of attempted bank fraud. (Ljutica v. Holder, 12/3/09)
DHS OIG Report on Medical Care for Detainees
On December 22, 2009, the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security released a report originally issued on December 3, 2009, looking at ICE’s process for authorizing medical care for immigration detainees.
CA2 on Well-Founded Fear and Government’s Awareness of Banned Activities
The court vacated the denial of asylum and remanded with instructions to provide Petitioner an opportunity to submit any additional evidence "as to the Chinese government's likely future awareness of his involvement with the CDP." (Ge v. Holder, 12/2/09)
CA9 Finds IJ Denied Full and Fair Hearing in Removal Case
CA9 granted petition and remanded with instructions to order a new hearing before the IJ, finding denial of continuance in conjunction with limitations placed on testimony prevented petitioner from full and fairly presenting case. (Rendon v. Holder, 12/2/09)
TRAC Report on ICE Detention Facility Transfers
A Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) report indicates that the number of individuals held in ICE custody in FY2009 is estimated at 369,483 detainees, more than twice the FY1999 total. And that an increasing proportion of all detainees are being transferred.
Immigration Law Advisor, November 2009 (Vol. 3, No. 11)
Immigration Law Advisor with an article on the current status of 212(c) and Abebe v. Holder, federal court activity and BIA precedent decisions for October 2009, and an article on deference to non-precedent decisions from the BIA and Joseph v. Holder.
DOJ OIG Issues Semiannual Report to Congress
On 12/01/09, DOJ OIG issued its Semiannual Report to Congress for the period of 4/1/09 – 9/30/09. The report includes the results of investigations of detention centers operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
BIA Finds Stepchild is Qualifying Relative for Evaluating Hardship
The BIA found that a stepchild who meets the definition of a “child” under the INA is a qualifying relative for purposes of establishing exceptional and extremely unusual hardship for cancellation of removal. Matter of Portillo-Gutierrez, 25 I&N Dec. 148 (BIA 2009)
CA3 Finds BIA Ignored Many Atrocities in Asylum Case
The court remanded finding that the BIA failed to consider many atrocities to which petitioner was subjected, testimony that she will be killed if she is returned to Liberia, and documentary evidence. (Sheriff v. Att'y Gen. of the U.S., 11/24/09)
CA6 Denies Petition for Rehearing in Persecutor Bar to Asylum Case
CA6 panel denied petition for rehearing in case on the persecutor bar to asylum with Judge Martin dissenting. AILA filed an amicus brief urging the court to rehear the case and modify the persecutor bar section to reflect new case law (Parlak v. Holder, 11/24/09).
CA4 Finds Petitioner Established Past Persecution in the Form of FGM
CA4 held that BIA’s denial of petitioner’s asylum application on the basis of an adverse credibility finding was not supported by substantial evidence, and that petitioner established past persecution in the form of female genital mutilation (Kourouma v. Holder, 11/24/09).
Person Detained by ICE Passes Away at York Hospital
On 11/21/09, Sebastian Padilla-Perez, a 72-year-old citizen and national of Cuba, who was in ICE custody on immigration violations, passed away at York Hospital in PA.
VSC Helpful Filing Tips
The Vermont Service Center (VSC) offers a number of filing tips for preparing applications and petitions to the VSC. These tips were prepared by VSC's Adjudications Branch. AILA's VSC Liaison committee will offer comments on specific sections of this document throughout the coming weeks.
BIA Finds Voluntary Departure Regulations Do Not Apply Retroactively
BIA found that the voluntary departure regulations which took effect on 1/20/09, and superseded Matter of Diaz-Ruacho, do not apply retroactively. Matter of Velasco, 25 I&N Dec. 143 (BIA 2009)
CA10 Finds BIA’s Reasonable Construction of 8 U.S.C. §1231 Entitled to Deference
The court upheld the IJ’s denial of withholding of removal because of N-A-M’s conviction for felony menacing, a “particularly serious crime.” The court found BIA’s reasonable construction of §1231 entitled to the court’s deference. (N-A-M v. Holder, 11/20/09)
ICE Announces 1,000 New Workplace Audits
On 11/19/09, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton announced the issuance of Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 1,000 employers associated with critical infrastructure, alerting business owners that ICE will audit their hiring records to determine compliance with employment eligibility verification laws.
ICE Memorandum on Reporting and Investigating Claims to United States Citizenship
This 11/19/09 ICE memo from John Morton, Assistant Secretary, provides guidance to ensure claims to U.S. citizenship receive immediate and careful investigation and analysis. This guidance supersedes previous guidance from 11/06/08.
BIA on Burden of Proof for Releasing Individual on Bond
The BIA remanded the record for the IJ to clarify whether the alien met his burden of proving his release on bond would not pose a danger to property or persons. Matter of Urena, 25 I&N 140 (BIA 2009)