EOIR
Description
Executive Office for Immigration Review, DOJ agency overseeing U.S. immigration courts
Background
The Executive Office for Immigration Review is a component of the DOJ responsible for administering the U.S. immigration court system. Established in 1983, EOIR houses immigration courts across the country in which immigration judges adjudicate removal proceedings, asylum claims, and related immigration matters. Unlike Article III federal judges, immigration judges are executive branch employees subject to agency supervision. By 2020, EOIR courts faced a backlog exceeding one million pending cases. Under the Trump administration beginning in 2017, EOIR issued a series of policies restricting immigration judges’ public speech, drawing objections from the National Association of Immigration Judges and a First Amendment lawsuit by the Knight First Amendment Institute.
Timeline Appearances
| Event | Date | Category |
|---|---|---|
| EOIR Restricts Immigration Judge Speech | 2017 | Erosion of Democratic Norms |
| Immigration Judges Barred from Discussing Policy | Jan 2020 | Erosion of Democratic Norms |
| Immigration Judges Denied Free Speech | May 26, 2026 | Erosion of Democratic Norms |
Key Figures Associated
| Person | Shared events |
|---|---|
| Donald Trump | 3 |
| Jeff Sessions | 1 |
| Clarence Thomas | 1 |
| Amy Coney Barrett | 1 |
Sources Involving This Institution
| Source | Type | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Court sides with Trump administration in dispute over immigration judges - declines to hear Florida suit against other states over immigrant driver’s licenses | news-reporting | Scotus Blog |
| Immigration Judges’ Union Sues Department of Justice for Gag Rule | news-reporting | G.U. Free Speech Project |
| Knight Institute - Margolin v. National Association of Immigration Judges | news-reporting | Knight Institute |
| Revised Justice Department Policy Still Silences Immigration Judges | news-reporting | Knight Institute |
| Supreme Court - Margolin v. NAIJ | court-document | SupremeCourt.gov |
| Supreme Court sides with Trump in dispute over immigration judges’ speech restrictions | news-reporting | AP News |