About the Data

Overview. The data accessible through the Women with Children — Priority Immigration Court Cases data tool, as well as information contained in TRAC reports based on that data, were obtained from the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) using the Freedom of Information Act. The data are comprised of individual case records from the federal Immigration Courts, which are administrative courts that, like EOIR itself, are part of the Department of Justice. The names and any other personal identifiers are removed from the records before the information is released to TRAC. The data were extracted by EOIR from its CASE database system, which tracks the workloads of the Immigration Courts. Findings reported are based on TRAC's detailed analysis of these case-by-case Immigration Court records.

Coverage. The EOIR data are comprised of the case-by-case records of every Immigration Court case that was assigned an "adult with children" case priority flag. In response to the sudden influx of women and children seeking refuge in this country during the summer of 2014, the Immigration Courts adopted new rules that gave priority to scheduling these cases. These new procedures followed the Obama Administration's actions seeking to expedite removal in these cases. Immigrants in these removal proceedings already have successfully passed an initial "credible fear" screening and are now in formal removal proceedings. At this point, most families were no longer held in detention facilities, although they were still in ICE custody and being monitored under one of ICE's "alternatives to detention" programs.

Not counted in the data. This application does not cover women with children who did not pass their initial "credible fear" screening: only those who did pass are included here. And because the case priority system is new, it only covers cases that were either pending or were filed after the system was put in place. Further, at the time the case priority system was started during Summer 2014, only those in some form of ICE custody — either detained or being monitored by ICE under ATD — were assigned a priority status by the courts. Once initially flagged, TRAC was able to follow the progress of these cases even after an individual was no longer in ICE custody. Also see discussion of "EOIR Case Priority Status" in the definitions below.

Using the Data Tool: Dimensions and Definitions

Filtering the data using the three data columns. The data filter from left to right, so that as you select a dimension in the left table, it will then show you the sub-categories of data within that particular selection in the tables to the right. In other words, if you click on a category in the left table to display only cases within that class in the middle table and in the time series graph. Click on a category in the middle table to display only cases within that class in the right table and in the time series graph.

Number/percent toggle. By default, the number of cases is displayed in the graph. To instead display the value as a percent of the total for your current selection, choose the "Percent" option to the right of the graph. (Note: 100 percent will be displayed if the total ("All") was the category you have currently selected.) Mouse-over any bar in the graph to view the value being plotted for that fiscal year.

Data dimensions. To change the set of categories displayed in a table, select a different factor from the pull-down menu above that table. The following factors can be selected:

• Fiscal Year. This is always based upon the fiscal year in which the DHS initially filed their action with the Immigration Courts, not when the court decided the case. The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. So, for example, FY 2013 will return cases filed from October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013.
• Immigration Court. There are Immigration Courts located in different parts of the country assigned the administrative responsibility for handling proceedings in their geographic district. Courts are usually referred to by the city or place where they are located — what EOIR refers to as their "base city."
• Hearing Location. Each Immigration Court usually has more than one geographic location in which judges hold hearings. Sometimes videoconferencing is used so that the family and judge are not in the same location. Normally a hearing location is administered by a single Immigration Court.
  
  Street addresses for hearing locations are located at https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/help/hearingloccode.html.
• State. The state or territory where the Immigration Court assigned administrative responsibility for the case is located. Note that the actual hearing location may be in a different state, since some courts handle proceedings in more than one state. See detailed list of hearing locations in states that differ from the state the Immigration Court itself is based.
• Nationality. The recorded nationality of the family.
• Represented. Whether the family did ("Represented") or did not ("Not Represented") have an attorney to help present the family's case.
• Custody. Whether the family is detained, was detained but released from custody, or was never detained since court proceedings began. Note: TRAC has found this field to be somewhat unreliable. Also see "EOIR Case Priority Status."
• Absentia. Whether the family was absent at the hearing in which a decision was reached by the Immigration Judge.
• EOIR Case Priority Status. Indicates whether the family is currently detained, is being monitored by ICE under its "alternatives to detention" programs, or the priority status has been discontinued (typically because no longer detained or under ATD monitoring).
• Outcome. This records the decision or basis for the Immigration Judge closing the case, and will also indicate if the case is still pending. The following decision outcomes are available:
• Removal Orders. Cases in which an Immigration Court Judge sustains the charges against the family and issues a removal order. The term "removal" is used in a generic sense and includes orders of deportation, exclusion, etc. A removal order bars the family from returning to the U.S. for a period of years, or in some cases permanently.
• Voluntary Departure Orders. Cases in which an Immigration Court Judge sustains the charges against the family and issues an order of voluntary departure. A so-called "voluntary departure" is when the family is required to leave the country but is not legally barred from returning.
• Terminate Proceedings. Cases in which an Immigration Court Judge finds the Department of Homeland Security has not established that the family is legally removable. These families are allowed to remain in the US.
• Relief Granted. Cases in which an Immigration Court Judge finds the original charges filed by DHS as the grounds for removal are sustained, but finds provisions in the immigration law entitle the family to "relief" from removal (for example, asylum is granted), allowing the family to remain in this country.
• Prosecutorial Discretion. The case is closed because the government attorney prosecuting the family's case exercises prosecutorial discretion and drops the request for a removal order. (Only available for cases closed since FY 2012.) These families are allowed to remain in the US.
• Other Closure. Cases in which an Immigration Court Judge decides not to deport the family for other unspecified reasons, or closes the case administratively. This category also includes closures in which the family is given certain temporary protected status.
• Transferred. The proceeding in a court at a particular location is closed so that the case can be transferred to a different location, sometimes referred to as a change in venue.

Initial Filing versus Current Status. Select the measure "Initial Filing" to see the court location where the removal case was originally filed and what happened in the proceeding taking place at that location. If the case was transferred to a different court location, the outcome shown will be "Case Transferred."

To find out the court's decision to date for all cases or whether the case is still pending, select "Current Status." When a case has transferred one or more times between court locations, this selection will give you the proceeding at the last location. For cases that have been closed, it will give you the Immigration Judge's decision in the case indicating whether the family was ordered deported or allowed to remain in the country. Whether the family was represented, EOIR case priority status, and the outcome are specific to this last proceeding. (If the case was never transferred, the last location is the same as the initial location.)

Additional TRAC Immigration Enforcement Data and Tools

To access additional data using other TRAC immigration enforcement tools, go to this directory of data tools.