Observing Hearings in Immigration Court

A training for attorneys new to immigration law and interested in observing Immigration Court hearings, including a brief overview of asylum and procedures, immigration court proceedings, rules of and candor to the court, and observing particularly to help ensure the due process rights of asylum seekers are not violated

Speaker

Malvina De La Canal AOD Program, JDC BASF

Moderator

Milli E. Atkinson Immigration Legal Defense Program, JDC BASF

A training for attorneys new to immigration law and interested in observing Immigration Court hearings, including a brief overview of asylum and procedures, immigration court proceedings, rules of and candor to the court, and observing particularly to help ensure the due process rights of asylum seekers are not violated. Prior to 2025, ICE followed a long-standing policy of respecting the bounds of the immigration court, conducting civil immigration arrests at immigration courts only in limited circumstances. This changed in 2025 when the current Administration revoked the existing guidance regarding civil immigration enforcement priorities, and in May 2025 began arresting asylum seekers who arrived at the immigration court to appear for their hearings. The AOD Program’s court observation project was initiated whereby court observers played a large role in tracking and reporting arrests at the immigration court and documenting ICE practices. As a result of information gathered by court observers, a Northern District Court judge has ordered ICE to stop the practice of arresting asylum seekers at the immigration court. This training will provide detailed guidance on how to become an effective court observer and help ensure compliance with court orders around courthouse arrest and document other ICE practices that could be the grounds for future litigation.

Topics

• An intro to asylum in the U.S. and U.S. border procedures
• The immigration court process
• Proper candor to the court, courtroom observation and support 
• Observing hearings at EOIR San Francisco
• Reporting observations for data gathering and litigation purposes 

Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email events@sfbar.org

Event Code: M267233
For a printable flyer, click here.
For related events, click here. 

Cost

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Program Access
A link to access the Zoom webinar will be sent in your confirmation e-mail prior to the start of the event. If you do not receive login credentials, please double check your Spam Folder. If you have any trouble, please contact mdelacanal@sfbar.org as soon as possible before the program starts so we can assist with troubleshooting. You may need to consult your local IT technician for connection issues.  Please call Malvina De La Canal at 415-982-1600 for this program with any questions.

Program recordings are not guaranteed and/or included with this registration, nor immediately accessible to registrants. Approved recordings of live programs are converted to On-Demand CLE Courses and available for separate purchase through a third-party library 30 business days after the live recording. Thank you for your support.

Substitution, Cancellation, and Refund Requests
For CLE events of 1.5 hours or less, Lunch & Learn programs, Happy Hours, Receptions, and Mixers, a refund is available if you submit your cancellation request at least 48 hours prior to the event. A $10 handling fee will be deducted from your refund. Please complete the Event Cancellation Form.

If you are unable to attend, you may send a substitute. Please complete the Event Cancellation Form.

MCLE Notice
To receive MCLE credit, you must sign in during the designated MCLE registration period. This activity is approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of California. BASF is a certified provider: Provider #103

Accessibility
People with disabilities and/or special requests should contact BASF regarding reasonable accommodations.