Resource Library

Free online course prepared by VECINA, the Texas Civil Rights Project, and the Texas Immigration Law Council on filing writs of habeas corpus on behalf of individuals unlawfully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with specific guidance regarding habeas practice in the Fifth Circuit.

Law review article published by Hon. Dorothy Harbeck through the Stetson Journal of Advocacy and the Law, discussing verbal objections in immigration court removal/deportation proceedings. 5 Stetson J. Advoc. & L. 1 (2018).

EOIR manual explaining the procedures for electronic filing through EOIR’s Courts & Appeals System (ECAS). Last updated September 25, 2022.

Practice guide providing an overview of voluntary departure, including requirements, risks and benefits, and relevant considerations. Published by the National Immigrant Justice Center on October 20, 2025.

Redacted sample direct examination of a country conditions expert witness in immigration court. The sample is based on a case in which the respondent, from Jamaica, sought asylum based on his sexual orientation.

Redacted sample direct examination of a country conditions expert witness in immigration court. The sample is based on a case in which the respondent, from Guatemala, sought asylum based on her K’iche’ Mayan ethnicity; political opinions in support of feminism and indigenous rights; and membership in the particular social groups of “Guatemalan K’iche’ Mayan women” […]

Redacted sample direct examination of an asylum-seeking respondent in immigration court. The sample is based on a case in which the respondent, from Guatemala, sought asylum based on her K’iche’ Mayan ethnicity; political opinions in support of feminism and indigenous rights; and membership in the particular social groups of “Guatemalan K’iche’ Mayan women” and “witnesses […]

CLINIC practice advisory that provides an overview of procedural matters before an immigration court hearing, as well as tips on how to prepare a direct examination in immigration court. Published on July 2, 2020.

CLINIC practice advisory that provides guidance on the evidentiary standards applicable in immigration court proceedings, as well as tips on how to make and respond to objections in immigration court. Published on March 13, 2020.

Annotated sample direct examination chart for a fictional asylum-seeking respondent, prepared by the Immigration Justice Campaign.

IRAP explainer addressing the Trump Administration’s December 16, 2025 proclamation continuing and expanding the June 2025 restrictions on U.S. entry of noncitizens from certain countries.