Office of Immigration Litigation

The Office of Immigration Litigation (OIL) oversees all civil immigration litigation, both affirmative and defensive, and it is responsible for coordinating national immigration matters before the federal district courts and circuit courts of appeals. OIL litigates immigration cases originating in federal district courts (including appeals from those cases); defends the government in every petition for review filed in the United States Courts of Appeals; handles cases that are transferred to the district courts for nationality determinations; and files denaturalization complaints. These cases present challenging legal and factual issues, including whether an individual is subject to removal from the United States; whether an alien is entitled to an immigration benefit; whether an individual is subject to civil denaturalization; and whether an immigration action, policy, or program is lawful.

OIL attorneys write motions and briefs, try cases, present oral argument on motions and appeals, and coordinate with U.S. Attorney's Offices to ensure that there is uniform application and defense of our immigration laws. OIL defends and advises the Department of State, the Department of Justice’s Executive Office of Immigration Review, the Department of Health and Human Service, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including DHS’s three immigration components (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection). OIL also coordinates with other components of the Department of Justice, including working with the Civil Division’s Appellate Staff and the Office of the Solicitor General to assess which appellate court decisions may warrant further review at either the circuit court or Supreme Court level.