AC—Administrative Closure
An order by the immigration court that removes the case from the court’s calendar of hearings.
AFM—Adjudicator’s Field Manual
A document, periodically updated bæy USCIS, that provides detailed guidance to immigration adjudicators as to the rules and procedures for the adjudication of applications and petitions. A redacted public version of the AFM is available on USCIS’s website: http://www.uscis.gov/laws/afm.
BIA—Board of Immigration Appeals
The administrative unit within the Department of Justice that handles appeals made by DHS or noncitizens in response to a decision by the immigration judge.
CBP—Customs and Border Protection
The federal law enforcement component of DHS charged with regulating and monitoring the inspection of people and goods at borders and ports of entry.
DA—Deferred Action
One form of prosecutorial discretion in which DHS administratively decides not to prosecute or remove a noncitizen. The granting of DA may provide eligibility to apply for employment authorization.
DACA—Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
One form of deferred action in which eligible individuals can file an application and pay a related fee with USCIS in exchange for a deferred action and work authorization.
DHS—Department of Homeland Security
The federal agency charged with protecting the United States from domestic emergencies and with enforcing immigrations laws. DHS absorbed many of the functions of the now defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service. The three primary immigration houses within DHS are U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ENFORCE—Enforcement Case Tracking System
The web-based case management system operated by ICE that provides DHS officers access to biometric data and information on investigations, apprehensions, detentions, removals, and returns.
EOIR—Executive Office for Immigration Review
The component of the Department of Justice, directed by the U.S. attorney general, charged with administratively adjudicating immigration cases. Two components within EOIR include the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, including immigration judges, persons responsible for hearing and deciding whether a noncitizen, charged for violating immigration laws, should be removed or granted relief; and the Board of Immigration Appeals, the appellate body responsible for the administrative review of decisions made by immigration judges.
ERO—ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations
The subcomponent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that identifies, apprehends, detains, transports, and removes noncitizens from the United States.
FOIA—Freedom of Information Act
The federal mandate that provides the public full or partial access to federal agency information.
GEMS—General Counsel Electronic Management System
The case management system that provides ICE attorneys with updated information regarding the ongoing litigation of immigration cases.
ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The federal law enforcement component of the Department of Homeland Security charged with enforcing immigration law within the United States rather than at the nation’s borders.
INA—Immigration and Nationality Act
The collection of federal statutes that govern U.S. immigration law.
INS—Immigration and Naturalization Service
The former name of the agency within the Department of Justice charged with enforcing and administering immigration law prior to the formation of the DHS and its components.
Nonpriority Status
The original name of “deferred action” as expressed by the INS and published in a policy following a lawsuit by music legend John Lennon.
NTA—Notice to Appear
The charging document that informs a noncitizen the charges being used as the basis for the removal and the time and place the removal proceedings will be held. Removal proceedings against a noncitizen commence once the NTA has been filed with the immigration court.
OI—Operations Instructions
The now-defunct internal policy guidelines promulgated by the INS in the 1970s. One of these OI advised INS officers to consider deferred action for noncitizens in appropriate cases.
Ombudsman—Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman
The appointed position within the Department of Homeland Security charged with providing individual case assistance and with providing recommendations to improve the administration of immigration benefits.
OPPM—Operating Policies and Procedures Memorandum
Guidance documents used by immigration judges and published by Executive Office for Immigration Review.
PD—Prosecutorial Discretion
The decision by the immigration agency about whether to enforce or not enforce the full scope of the law against a person or group of persons.
PM—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Policy Manual
The USCIS Policy Manual is the agency’s centralized online repository for USCIS’s immigration policies and will ultimately replace the Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM).
Pro Se
One who represents oneself in a court proceeding without the assistance of a lawyer.
USCIS—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
The component of DHS responsible for adjudicating benefits applications, such as applications for adjustment of status (“green card”), naturalization, and asylum.