Getting your immigration file
Before doing anything serious, get the government's own file. USCIS holds the A-file and releases it through its online FOIA system. EOIR holds the record of proceedings and releases it on Form EOIR-59. The file shows what the government thinks it knows, which is often not what the person remembers.
Para quién es. Anyone with an immigration history, their lawyers, and family members with written consent.
Los formularios, en orden
- 1
Request the USCIS A-file
The online FOIA system is faster than the paper form.
- 2
Ask for expedited Track 3 processing if you are in removal proceedings
Track 3 exists specifically for people with a hearing date.
- 3
Request the EOIR record of proceedings separately
This is what shows which address a hearing notice went to, which is central to reopening an in absentia order.
- 4
Request CBP and ICE records if the case involves an arrest or an entry
CBP holds entry and inspection records; ICE holds detention and enforcement records. Each agency has its own FOIA process.
- 5
Review the file before filing anything
Prior applications, statements at the border, and old removal orders all surface here.
Dónde suele fallar
- USCIS FOIA and EOIR FOIA are separate systems; asking one does not get you the other.
- A file can contain a prior removal order or a prior asylum application the person does not remember, and finding out from the file is far better than finding out from DHS at a hearing.
- Requests without proper identity verification are rejected.
- Genealogy records for deceased people go through Forms G-1041 and G-1041A, not the FOIA process.
Qué cambió en 2025 y 2026
- USCIS moved most FOIA requests to its online system, which has largely displaced the paper Form G-639.