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2.0

EOIR Acting Director issues PM 25-30 to replace OPPM on change of venue requests

  1. Original Date Announced

    April 25, 2025

    EOIR Acting Director Owen issued Policy Memorandum (PM) 25-30, rescinding and cancelling Operating Policies and Procedures Memorandum (OPPM) 18-01, “Change of Venue.” OPPM 18-01 was issued during President Trump's first administration to provide guidance to EOIR adjudicators regarding changes of venue in immigration court.

    PM 25-30 notes that OPPM 18-01 “remains useful" and maintains some of the guidance from the OPPM (such as guidance on the law of the case doctrine). However, PM 25-30 states that “updated guidance is needed to address and clarify procedures EOIR has developed over several years,” including the adoption of electronic filing and the use of clerical transfers between courts.

    The memo instructs immigration judges to effectuate changes of venue through written orders and prohibits changes being made through annotations in the Record of Proceedings. The memo also instructs judges who grant a change of venue motion to complete as much of the case as possible before the venue change and to advise respondents that arrangements for counsel should be made in advance of the hearing scheduled at the new venue.

    Trump 2.0 [ID #1709]

    2025.04.25 EOIR - PM 25-30
  2. Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

    • May 9, 2025

      2025.05.09 EOIR - PM 25-31

      EOIR Acting Director Owen issued PM 25-31, “Addendum to Policy Memorandum 25-30,” to provide additional guidance regarding clerical transfers of cases between non-detained and detained dockets and to clarify section VI of PM 25-30. It states that when DHS detains a noncitizen with pending proceedings on a non-detained docket, EOIR may clerically transfer the noncitizen’s proceedings to the immigration court with jurisdiction over the relevant detained docket.

      View Document

Current Status

None

Original Trump Policy Status

Status: Final/Actual
Trump Administration Action: Agency Directive
Subject Matter: Hearings and Adjudications
Agencies Affected: EOIR

Associated or Derivative Policies

Pre Trump-Era Policies

Documents

Trump-Era Policy Documents

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To provide information, corrections, or feedback, please email IPTP.feedback@gmail.com