On July 29, 2024, a new Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) Final Rule, Efficient Case and Docket Management in Immigration Proceedings, went into effect. The rule codifies the authority of immigration judges (IJ) and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to administratively close and terminate removal proceedings. The new rule can be found in its entirety in the Federal Register available online at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-05-29/pdf/2024-11121.pdf.

The rule includes three major changes:

(1) Immigration Judges’ Authority to Administratively Close Proceedings;

(2)the authority for an Immigration Judge to terminate proceedings in their discretion and sets forth the factors that should be considered in those circumstances;

(3) Rules for Retroactive Application of Law for Post Conviction Relief;

(4) The Rule Restores Important Procedural Safeguards That the Trump Rule Had Eliminated;

(5) The Rule Gives the BIA Expanded Authority to Grant Voluntary Departure Rather than Remand; and

(6) Changes some language to be more appropriate.

You can find a detailed breakdown of the three changes codified by the Final Rule in the Immigration Law Wiki page on this topic.