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SOAN 300.8 - Community Based Research Project

Introduction

These sources contain information on immigration laws and procedures.  They are where you will find the official US stance on the issues affecting immigrant communities. These agencies also conduct research and maintain statistics that may be relevant to your case. 

Reasons to use these sources: 

  • Updates on laws pertaining to your case. 
  • Background information on the US Government's stance on the country of origin.
  • Large-scale statistics. Most will not have local statistics, but they will have some information on country-wide issues. 

Questions to ask yourself: 

  • Why did the agency collect the information? 
  • How do general data or facts relate to the specifics of your case? 
  • How does the language of the policy and/or laws affect your case? 

Congressional Reports

International Agencies

U.S. Federal Agencies

Department of Homeland Security

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security. The department is responsible for anti-terrorism efforts, border security, immigration and customs, cybersecurity, and disaster prevention and management

USCIS performs the day-to-day processing duties for U.S. immigration, including applications for work visas, asylum, and citizenship. Additionally, the agency is officially tasked with safeguarding national security, eliminating immigration case backlogs, and improving efficiency. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They enforce more than 400 federal statutes that focus on immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating the illegal movement of people and goods.   ICE has two primary components: Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

CBP is the primary border control organization. It is charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs, and immigration. 

Department of Justice 

DOJ is a federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice in the United States.  It administers several federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

EOIR is a sub-agency of the United States Department of Justice that conducts removal proceedings in immigration courts and adjudicates appeals arising from the proceedings. These administrative proceedings determine the removability and admissibility of individuals in the United States. This is the agency in charge of the immigration courts. 

The agency is responsible for enforcing the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which protects US citizens and certain other individual from discrimination based on their citizenship or immigration status.