Request a Record of Proceeding (ROP)

The information on this page includes specific instructions for parties to proceedings to request a copy of your file, also called a Record of Proceeding (ROP). For every case that comes before an immigration judge, there is an official court file, and this ROP contains the documents that the Department of Homeland Security and the noncitizen have provided, including all the correspondence DHS and the noncitizen have sent to and received from the court.

You can also access this information on EOIR's Immigration Court Online Resource (ICOR). ICOR provides the information in a step-by-step format.

Is this different from filing a FOIA Request?

"Request for ROP" is a request made directly to the immigration court or BIA for a copy of your file. Different from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process, the “Request for ROP” process is focused on providing each party to proceedings and people with a specific legal relationship to a party with a copy of the file. Both processes will provide you with the portions of your file that you request, subject to legal restrictions that apply.

To receive a copy of an ROP through the “Request for ROP” process, you must be the person who is the subject of the ROP or be someone with a specific legal relationship with that person. Parents and guardians of children in proceedings are generally able to receive a copy of the contents of their child's ROP. Legal representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who practice before EOIR are also eligible to receive a copy of files related to cases in which they represent DHS.

When you file a "Request for ROP," you will receive a response directly from the court or the BIA. When filing a FOIA request, you will receive a response from the Office of the General Counsel's FOIA Service Center only after the Service Center processes your request, makes a request to the relevant court or BIA for the file, and receives the file from the court or BIA.

Please note the FOIA Service Center continues to process all requests under the FOIA for all agency documents, including requests made by individuals not directly associated with a case. Those individuals must make their request through the Office of the General Counsel’s FOIA Service Center, located at EOIR’s Headquarters in Falls Church, VA.

What do I need to include in my Request for ROP?

All Requests for ROPs may be made through the submission of a Form EOIR-59, which will ensure you include all information necessary to process your request.

If you choose not to complete the Form EOIR-59, please be sure your request includes the following required information about the person named on the ROP:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• A-number

Additional details required

You must also include details about:

• The portions of the ROP you want (including whether you are requesting the whole file)
• Method of delivery once the copy is made:
  • If you want to pick up the copy in person, provide your telephone number.
  • If you want your copy emailed to you, provide your email address.
  • If you want your copy mailed to you, provide your mailing address.

  My request is for my own file

  Please review the "What do I need to include in my request for ROP?" information. Those instructions will help you satisfy the requirements for a Request for ROP.

  To protect the information in your file, we also require that you include a statement, written or typed above your signature, that tells the court that you verify the information in your request is correct.

  An example of such a statement is, “I declare under penalty of law that the foregoing is true and correct. Completed on [DATE].” The date to include is the date you sign the document.

  My request is for my client's file

  Please review the "What do I need to include in my request for ROP?" information. Note that you are not required to submit your client's place of birth and date of birth when making your request.

  In addition to those requirements, you must have a Form EOIR-28 on file with the immigration court, or a Form EOIR-27 on file with the BIA, for the case about which you are requesting the individual's ROP. If you have not yet filed an EOIR-28 or EOIR-27 in the case, please do so before making your request.

  My request is for the file of my minor child

  Please review the "What do I need to include in my request for ROP?" information. Those instructions will help you satisfy the requirements for a Request for ROP.

  In addition, you must identify yourself to the court or BIA and include proof of your relationship to the minor child. To provide your identifying information, please include your own:

  • Full name
  • Current mailing address
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth

  To show your relationship to the minor child, please include:

  • The minor child's birth certificate
  • Adoption decree for the minor child
  • Other legal document that proves your relationship to the minor child

  To protect the information in your file, we also require that you include a statement, written or typed above your signature, that tells the court or BIA that you verify the information in your request is correct.

  An example of such a statement is, “I declare under penalty of law that the foregoing is true and correct. Completed on [DATE].” The date to include is the date you sign the document.

  How do I submit a request for ROP?

  By email

  Please be sure to direct your email to the immigration court where the last hearing was scheduled for the case. Instructions on submitting a request by email are available here, including the immigration court email list in alphabetical order by court name.

  By mail

  You can submit a Request for ROP by mail to the immigration court where your last hearing was scheduled. The mailing address for each court can be found here. The mailing address for the BIA can be found here.

  In person

  If you plan to submit your Request for an ROP in person, you may want to confirm the court is open and you can do so by calling the court or checking EOIR’s operational status webpage. The BIA does not accept submissions via this method.

  Please plan ahead. While some courts may be able to fulfill your request the day you visit, file size and location will most often prevent same-day service. Please be sure that your completed EOIR-59 (or other request submission) has information for how the court can send you the ROP when it is able to make a copy.

  My request is for my file or the file of my minor child

  When you make a request in person, you must bring identification that matches the name on your ROP or the name of the parent or guardian of the minor child's ROP. If you do not complete the EOIR-59 (or another document containing the required information to process your request), you will need to do so at the court.

  My request is for my client

  Please bring a copy of the Form EOIR-28 or EOIR-27 you filed in ECAS.

  What if I do not receive a copy of my file?

  If you are or were in proceedings, or are the parent, guardian, or legal representative of someone who is or was in proceedings, and your Request for ROP is not fulfilled, please be sure to double check the information you submitted. If you find an error in your submission, please resubmit a request that includes all required information without errors.

  Please do not submit a second request, however, unless you received notice that your request cannot be fulfilled. Duplicate requests will not help you get your ROP faster, but will slow down the process for all of the people who file a request after you.