Research Guides: Immigration Law: Federal Agencies

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
DHS consolidated 22 federal departments and agencies into a single cabinet-level agency charged with (according to its mission statement) preventing terrorism and enhancing security, securing and managing borders, enforcing and administering immigration laws, safeguarding and securing cyberspace, and ensuring resilience to disasters.
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)
USCIS is part of DHS. USCIS administers lawful immigration to the United States and is primarily funded by immigration and naturalization benefit fees.
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)
ICE is part of DHS. ICE is charged with the enforcement of federal laws regarding customs, trade, and immigration, including laws against the employment of unauthorized workers and the removal of “illegal aliens who are criminals, fugitives or recent arrivals.”
Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
CBP is part of DHS. CBP is “charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. while facilitating lawful international travel and trade. It takes a comprehensive approach to border security.”

Department of Justice

Department of Justice (DOJ)
The DOJ is a cabinet-level agency that enforces federal law. It includes a number of subsidiary law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The head of the DOJ is the U.S. Attorney General, currently Jeff Sessions.
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)
EOIR adjudicates immigration cases “by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation's immigration laws. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, EOIR conducts immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings.”
Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
BIA is under the EOIR. BIA “is the highest administrative body for interpreting and applying immigration laws. It is authorized 23 Appellate Immigration Judges, including a Chief Appellate Immigration Judge and one or two Deputy Chief Appellate Immigration Judges. The BIA is located at EOIR headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. Generally, the BIA does not conduct courtroom proceedings - it decides appeals by conducting a "paper review" of cases. On rare occasions, however, the BIA hears oral arguments of appealed cases, predominately at headquarters.”
Office of the Chief Immigration Judge (OCIJ)
OCIJ is under the EOIR. OCIJ “is led by the Chief Immigration Judge, who establishes operating policies and oversees policy implementation for the immigration courts. OCIJ provides overall program direction and establishes priorities for approximately 460 immigration judges located in 67 immigration courts and two adjudications centers throughout the Nation.”
Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO)
OCAHO is under the EOIR. OCAHO is “headed by a Chief Administrative Hearing Officer who is responsible for the general supervision and management of Administrative Law Judges who preside at hearings which are mandated by provisions of law enacted in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA (PDF)) and the Immigration Act of 1990 (PDF). These acts, among others, amended the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA).”
Immigration Courts
Immigration and Employee Rights Section (IER)
IER is not under EOIR but under the DOJ Civil Rights Division and it was formerly known as OSC until January 2017. IER is a subsidiary office of the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. It enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1324b), which prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment based on citizenship status or national origin and unfair documentary practices relating to verification of employment eligibility.

Department of Labor

Department of Labor (DOL)
DOL is a cabinet-level department which “fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States.” It is involved in administering programs that allow for the employment of temporary foreign workers, such as the D-1, E-3, H-1B, and H-2A programs. It also considers U and T nonimmigrant visas for victims of human trafficking, involuntary servitude, and other crimes.
Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC)
is under the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration. “Foreign labor certification programs permit U.S. employers to hire foreign workers on a temporary or permanent basis to fill jobs essential to the U.S. economy. Certification may be obtained in cases where it can be demonstrated that there are insufficient qualified U.S. workers available and willing to perform the work at wages that meet or exceed the prevailing wage paid for that occupation in the area of intended employment.”
Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals (BALCA)
BALCA is under the DOL’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.

Department of State

Department of State (DOS)
DOS is a cabinet-level department in charge of the United States’ international relations; to that end, it advises the President on foreign policy and advances U.S. interests abroad. It also is responsible for processing passports for U.S. citizens, assisting U.S. citizens abroad, and handling immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications by foreign nationals.

Department of Health & Human Services

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
HHS is a cabinet-level department whose mission is “to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans...by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services.” Through its Office of Refugee Resettlement, it assists immigrants of “special humanitarian concern” and provides care for unaccompanied children who have been apprehended by DHS.

Temple University

University Libraries

See all library locations

Need help? Email us at asktulibrary@temple.edu