Deportation and Removal Proceedings in Immigration Court

An important part of U.S. law is the concept of “due process,” under which people’s legal rights must be respected in a just and fair manner, and they must receive notice of any charges against them and given a chance to be heard and to defend themselves before the authorities take any punitive action.

When applied to immigrants, the rights of due process means that, in many cases, they must be given a chance to present a defense and apply for any available relief before being removed from the United States. A whole network of immigration courts operates across the United States, under the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR), which is part of the Department of Justice.