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Request a Record of Proceeding (ROP)

Where to request my ROP and audio/DAR?

"Request for ROP and audio/DAR" is a request made directly to the immigration court or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) for a copy of your file. The “Request for ROP and audio/DAR” process is focused on providing certain parties to currently pending proceedings and people with a specific legal relationship to a party with a copy of the file in specific situations. It is different from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process.

The following individuals should submit their Request for ROP and audio/DAR directly to the location where their proceeding is pending (i.e. the immigration court or BIA):

  1. Respondents
  2. Attorneys of Record
  3. Parents and guardians of children in proceedings
  4. Legal representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who practice before EOIR

Request for ROP and audio/DAR through FOIA process, when the respondent does not have access to ECAS and it is a closed case:

  1. Third parties authorized by a respondent to receive their records
  2. Cases with audio that were closed prior to 2011

When you file a "Request for ROP," you will receive a response from the immigration court or the BIA. When you file a FOIA request, you will receive a response from the Office of the General Counsel's FOIA Service Center.

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 public access link. 

What do I need to include in my Request for ROP and DAR/audio?

All Requests for ROPs and DAR/audio may be made through the submission of a Form EOIR-59 or DOJ-361 which will ensure you include all information necessary to process your request.

If you choose not to complete the Form EOIR-59 or DOJ 361, 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 or DAR/audio)
  • Method of delivery once the copy is made:
    • If you want to pick up the copy in person which is only available for Immigration Court, 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 and DAR/audio?" information. Those instructions will help you satisfy the requirements for a Request for ROP and DAR/audio.

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

An example of such a statement is, “I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [DATE].” The date to include is the date you sign the document.

My request is for my client's file

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.

Please review the "What do I need to include in my request for ROP and DAR/audio?" information. Note that you are not required to submit your client's place of birth and date of birth when 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 and DAR/audio?" information. Those instructions will help you satisfy the requirements for a Request for ROP and DAR/audio.

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 (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [DATE].” The date to include is the date you sign the document.

How do I submit a request for ROP?

By email for the Immigration Court and BIA

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.

If your case is pending before the BIA, please click here for instructions on submitting your request by email.

By mail

You can submit a Request for ROP and DAR 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 and DAR 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 at the Immigration Court, you must bring identification that matches the name on your ROP and DAR or the name of the parent or guardian of the minor child's ROP and DAR. 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 and will slow down the process for all of the people who file a request after you.

 

Updated August 27, 2025