On October 7, 2026, a federal judge ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to collect biometrics for people whose cases are pending before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) while they are detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This resource explains how legal representatives can advocate for clients in detention who need biometrics.
A group of immigrants in detention represented by Democracy Forward, National Immigration Project, and the National Immigrant Justice Center filed a class action lawsuit challenging a December 2025 Trump administration policy that blocks detained people from completing biometrics processes, including fingerprints and photos, for applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Without biometrics, people’s immigration applications are automatically denied.
Use this quick start guide and checklist to prepare for a bond hearing for someone who has been detained by the Department of Homeland Security
This guide provides a general overview of prolonged immigration detention and strategies for release.
The Department of Justice published an interim final rule on Appellate Procedures for the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dramatically
These questions are meant to supplement NIJC’s quick-start guide on voluntary departure. Practice around voluntary departure (VD) is variable depending
The Department of Justice published an interim final rule on Appellate Procedures for the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) effective
Voluntary departure (VD) is a way for someone to avoid an order of removal on their record by agreeing to
leave the U.S. at their own expense while meeting certain conditions. Voluntary departure is a benefit
available to detained and non-detained individuals seeking to return to their home country. Voluntary
departure is especially useful for people who may have a legal pathway to return to the U.S., such as a
family petition. In some cases, it may be the only relief available, but in other cases, the government may
use it as leverage to convince someone to waive their rights or waive other relief when it is of little to no
help.
A collection of resources produced by the National Immigrant Justice Center to help immigration practitioners when an existing client is
An index of documents immigration legal practitioners may use as a starting place for research.
Recent caselaw has dramatically chipped away at access to bond in removal proceedings. This training will cover shifting caselaw, court
