Administrative Closure

Administrative closure is one of the procedural ways in immigration proceedings that immigration judges or the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) temporarily remove a case from their active docket. Unlike a final decision, administrative closure leaves the case unresolved but inactive. For example, if a case is terminated or dismissed, the case will be removed from the immigration court docket system permanently. However, administrative closure is merely a procedure to put a case on hold from the court system so the removal proceedings can be reopened at any time by either the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Respondents.

There are several circumstances during removal proceedings that could result in a case being administratively closed. Since administrative closure does not provide any legal status, it is not a legal remedy, meaning that the administratively closed cases are still considered to be in removal proceedings. While administrative closure itself does not offer any form of relief, it could give individuals facing removal a chance to explore potential pathways to legal status. Also, in some cases, respondents with eligible pending applications may still be able to apply for or renew their work permits during the time that their case remains administratively closed.

Although administrative closure can be a temporary relief from deportation, individuals whose case was administratively closed could, once again, engage in the removal proceedings at any time.

Understanding how and when administrative closure can be an option would be helpful in your cases. The attorneys at Tanner Law Offices can assist you with your case process or provide additional information. Please contact our office at (717) 731-8114 to schedule a consultation to discuss your case.