Immigration Courts
Immigration courts play a crucial role in ensuring that immigration laws are applied fairly and consistently, providing due process to those facing removal. Learn more about issues facing the courts today and explore the actions we're taking to ensure the rights of immigrants are upheld and legal integrity is maintained.
How Two Proposed Rules Make It Harder for Immigration Judges to Manage Their Docket
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) has proposed two rules that would significantly decrease the due process rights of people in immigration court. Both rules would restrict judges’ abilities to manage their dockets and require them to push through cases at breakneck speeds, further transforming the immigration court system… Read More
Council Files FOIA Lawsuit to Expose Immigration Enforcement in Federal Prisons
The American Immigration Council filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf of the University of California (UCLA) School of Law Professor Ingrid Eagly seeking to uncover the scope and operation of immigration… Read More
Government Faces Lawsuit for Failing to Disclose Information on Expansion of Immigration Courts and Immigration Adjudication Centers
Public information about the location and expansion of these courts and centers is critically important. Read More
Lawsuit Seeks to Uncover Secretive Expansion of Judicial Black Sites for Immigration Cases
A lawsuit filed against the EOIR—which oversees immigration courts—and the GSA seeks information on the expansion and creation of immigration adjudication centers, which were established as part of EOIR’s Strategic Caseload Reduction plan designed to accelerate removal proceedings at the expense of due process. Read More
The Government Wants Immigrants to Show Up for Court—But Neglects to Tell Them How to Attend Their Hearings
Over 60,000 people at the southern border have been forced to return to Mexico under the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program. As they get sent back, U.S. government officials give them insufficient information about how to attend their immigration court… Read More
The Value of Pro Bono Legal Services in Immigration Detention
Once a year, National Pro Bono Week celebrates the pro bono work of lawyers, paralegals, and law students. Pro bono legal services—which come at no cost—are integral for many people otherwise left with little to no resources in immigration detention. Access to counsel in immigration detention is paramount to… Read More
Department of Justice Eliminates Diversity and Inclusion Training for All Immigration Judges
At a time when tensions over race in the United States are high, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in an October 8 memo that it will cancel all diversity and inclusion trainings for its staff of over 115,000 people. The decision could have a… Read More
The Difference Between Asylum and Withholding of Removal
This fact sheet provides an overview of withholding of removal, including the basics of seeking protection in the United States, eligibility requirements, the application process, and data on applicants. Read More
New Data Disproves Trump Administration’s Push to End Administrative Closure
The Trump administration’s justification for ending administrative closure is on thin ice. A new report casts doubt on key arguments presented in a proposed regulation that would end the practice of administrative closure. This tool allows immigration judges to temporarily suspend a hearing by taking it off of… Read More
Detained Immigrants Ask Court to Stop ICE Interference to Phone Access in Immigration Detention Centers
Individuals in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at the Otero County Processing Center filed a motion for preliminary injunction to stop ICE from denying detained individuals the ability to contact their lawyers and the outside world by phone. Read More
