Within the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 200 Immigration Judges located in 53 Immigration Courts nationwide conduct proceedings and decide individual removal cases. Removal proceedings account for approximately 80 percent of Immigration Judges' caseload. Federal rules of evidence are inapplicable in Immigration Court; thus, an Immigration Judge has greater authority to consider most kinds of evidence in deciding a case. The types of proceedings an Immigration Judge may preside over are briefly discussed below. 

Removal Hearings 

Removal hearings are conducted to determine whether certain aliens are subject to removal from the country. The distinction between exclusion and deportation proceedings has been eliminated, and aliens subject to removal from the United States are now all placed in removal proceedings. Thus, the removal proceeding is now generally the sole procedure for determining whether an alien is inadmissible, deportable, or eligible for relief from removal.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which absorbed the functions of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), is responsible for commencing a removal proceeding. If the DHS alleges a violation of immigration laws, it has the discretion to "serve" the alien with a charging document, known as a Notice to Appear. This document orders the individual to appear before an Immigration Judge, and advises him or her of, among other things:

• Nature of the proceedings against the individual;
• Individual's alleged acts that violated the law;
• Individual's right to an attorney; and
• Consequences of failing to appear at scheduled hearings.

Removal proceedings generally require an Immigration Judge to make two findings: (1) a determination of the alien's removability from the United States, and (2) whether the alien is eligible for a form of relief from removal. For more information on the types of relief available to an alien, please see the Forms of Relief from Removal factsheet.