EOIR Reminds Stakeholders Hearings on February 8 and Beyond Will Proceed as Scheduled

Always check EOIR's operational status page for the most up-to-date information.

Updates

• On February 8, EOIR reminded stakeholders that hearings on February 8, 2022, and beyond will proceed as scheduled, subject to local operational and case-specific decisions. EOIR also noted that it continues to support remote hearings and "strongly encouraged" attorneys and accredited representatives to use the Openvoice and Webex platforms, noting that they may appear via those mediums, as available, without prior approval and without filing a motion in advance. EOIR also reiterated that practitioners and respondents do not need to be physically present in the same location. Unrepresented respondents in non-detained cases who wish to appear by Openvoice or Webex are adviced by EOIR to contact the immigration court for instructions.
• On January 28, EOIR announced that it will continue to postpone certain hearings through February 7, 2022. Among other categories, non-detained cases with a lawyer will continue as scheduled.
• On January 14, 2022, EOIR has added links for its “WebEx Information” for specific courts and judges as it implements remote hearings pursuant to its earlier announcement in response to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.
• On January 11, 2022, DOJ clarified that “practitioners and respondents who are appearing for hearings by phone or online do not need to be physically present in one location. Plans to appear from separate locations do not require special arrangements with the immigration court.” See AILA's practice alert.
• On January 10, 2022, EOIR announced it had postponed non-detained, non-represented cases hearings due to COVID. Detained cases, as well as non-detained individuals who are represented, will have their hearings continue via phone or online.