Advanced Immigration Law and
Citizenship Research
SPRING 2012
SHIKHA GUPTA JOSEPH:
SHIKHA.JOSEPH@HOFSTRA.EDU
Preemption Literature Check
 A preemption check is a thorough process for
determining whether there is another article that has
already been published on your topic.
 Purpose of preemption check:
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Saving time and resources to confirm that your topic will cover
new ground.
Provides alerts to any impending statutes or case law that
would render your topic meaningless.
How to conduct a preemption check?
Conduct a check following these steps:
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Construct a list of keywords and subject headings on the topic
Maintain a record of all databases searched with found journal
citations, articles etc.
Search law review databases
Run queries in periodical indices
Examine works in progress, working papers, and preprints
Books and book chapters
Current awareness tools
Analyze and conform the results with your topic
Law Review Databases
 Westlaw (TP-ALL, JLR)
 Example: TP-ALL keyword search: (transsex! transgend!
transvest!) /10 immig! /10 detention
 Lexis (Law Reviews, CLE, Legal Journals &
Periodicals, Combined)
 HeinOnline
 Non-law databases: Academic Search Premier,
JSTOR, and other multidisciplinary from Axinn
databases
Periodical Indices
 Index to Legal Periodicals (current and retro)
 Example: same sex and sponsor
 LegalTrac
 Current Index to Legal Periodicals
 Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
Works in Progress, Working Papers and Preprints
For scholarly working papers, forthcoming law review
articles, think tank articles (new and very recent
research):
 Legal Scholarship Network (SSRN)
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Example: sexual orientation asylum
 Google Scholar
 Example: surrogacy and citizenship
 Berkeley Electronic Press (Bepress)
Books and Books Chapters
 Lexicat Hofstra University Libraries Catalog
 Example: immigration detention
 WorldCat
Current Awareness Tools and Blogs
 Lexis-alerts, Sherpardize, CourtLink
 Westlaw-various alerts at “Alert Center”, Keycite
 U.S. Law Week (BNA)-status of Supreme Court cases
 BNA Alerts-also latest news, expert insight articles
 SSRN
 Immigration Prof Blog:
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/
 Bender's Immigration Bulletin: Lexis; Law
Classified KF4815 .I465
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Daily Edition, Bulletin Board: http://bibdebb.blogspot.com/
Immigration Law Research Sources
 Primary Sources
 Statutes
 Federal Regulations
Federal Register
 Code of Federal Regulations
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Agency Decisions
Judicial Decisions
 Secondary Sources
 Treatises and casebooks
 Journal & law review articles
Statutes
 Which statutes are applicable?
 Treatises
 Immigration Law Research Guides (for example, NYU Law
Library's guide)
 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS)
 Index to USCA or USCS
 Relevant governing laws:
 Title 8: Immigration and Nationality Act (INA); Aliens &
Nationality
 Title 18: Criminal Law and Procedure
Where can I locate the relevant statutes?
 Federal Immigration Laws and Regulations, Law
Classified, KF4805.99 .U54 2011
 United State Code - available in print or on Fdsys
(http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/)
 United States Code Annotated (USCA) – available in
print or in Westlaw
 United States Code Service (USCS) – available in
print or in Lexis
Legislative History
 U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative New
Service-print (Reading Room KF48 .U5) and
Westlaw (USCCAN)
 HeinOnline-U.S. Federal Legislative History Library
 ProQuest Congressional
 Thomas.gov-recent bills/legislation only
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http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php
 Lexis: US-CIS Legislative Histories database
 Westlaw: FED-LH database
Proposed Legislation
 ProQuest Congressional
 Thomas.gov
 Lexis: Congressional Full Text Bills - Current
Congress; Bill Tracking Report - Current Congress
 Westlaw: CONG-BILLTXT; US-BILLTRK; FIMBILLTXT
Role of Federal Agencies
 Rulemaking (regulations published in the Code of
Federal Regulations)
 Adjudication (administrative decisions)
Which Agencies?
 Department of Homeland Security-in charge of
Citizenship & Immigration Services; Immigration &
Customs Enforcement is responsible for enforcing
immigration and customs law
(http://www.ice.gov/index.htm)
 Department of State-authority of visa issuance, country
information, various reports
 Department of Justice-Executive Office for Immigration
Review (immigration court system), employment
discrimination matters
 Department of Labor-alien labor certification process
and appeals
Federal Regulations
 Federal Register
 Code of Federal Regulations
Locating Federal Regulations
 Code of Federal Regulations – print and online at
Lexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, FedSys
 Relevant volumes might include:
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Aliens and Nationality Regs: Title 8
Justice Dept Regs: Title 28
Labor Dept Regs: Title 20, 29
Health & Human Serv Regs: Title 42
Federal Register
 Code of Federal Regulations – print
 Lexis
 Westlaw
 HeinOnline
 FedSys
Agency and Judicial Decisions Search
 First, choose a database. (Click on Search tab on
Lexis; click on Directory on Westlaw)
 Select jurisdiction (if applicable)
 Construct terms and connectors search
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Use thesaurus, key terms suggested by database or other
sources, headnotes
 Limit by dates if helpful
Agency Decisions
Board of Immigration Appeals Decisions
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Administrative decisions under immigration and nationality laws,
Law Classified KF4812 .A2
Bender’s Immigration Case Reporter KF 4815 .I46
Hein’s Cumulative Index to Interim Precedent Decisions of the Board
of Immigration Appeals, Law Classified KF4812.7 .H45
 HeinOnline: U.S. Federal Agency Documents, Decisions,
and AppealsAdministrative Decisions under
Immigration and Nationality Laws
 LexisNexis: Federal Immigration Agency Decisions;
Immigration Precedent Decisions
 Westlaw: FIM-BIA
Administrative Appeals Office
 Bender’s Immigration Case Reporter KF 4815 .I46
 LexisNexis: Federal immigration agency decisions;
Immigration Non-Precedent Decisions: BIA,
AAO/AAU
 Westlaw: FIM-AAU
Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer
 Bender’s Immigration Case Reporter KF 4815 .I46
 Lexis: Office of Chief Administrative Hearing Officer
Immigration Review Decisions
 Westlaw: FIM-OCAHO
Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals Decisions
 Immigration Law and Procedure: BALCA Deskbook
 Summaries of decisions in Volume 13, Law Classified KF 4819
.G6
 Lexis: Immigration Law & Procedure - BALCA Deskbook
 Interpreter Releases
 includes BALCA summaries, Law Classified KF4802 .I58
 Westlaw INTERREL database
 Bender’s Immigration Case Reporter KF 4815 .I46
 Lexis: Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals
Decisions
 Westlaw: FIM-BALCA
Judicial Decisions
 Bender’s Immigration Case Reporter KF 4815 .I46
 Federal Reporter, Federal Supplement, Supreme
Court Reporter: Law Reading Room
 Lexis: USAPP; databases for individual circuits;
IMMIG; Federal Immigration Cases and Federal
Immigration Cases & Agency Decisions
 Westlaw: CTA; databases for individual circuits;
FIM-CS and IM-CS
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Example: “j-1 visa” and stay
Secondary Sources
Treatises and casebooks-for background information
• Immigration and Citizenship Process and Policy/ Thomas
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Alexander Aleinikoff et al., Law Reserve KF4818 .A43 2012
Immigration Law and Procedure in a Nutshell / by David
Weissbrodt et al., Law Reserve KF4819.3 .W4 2011
Essentials of Immigration Law/Richard A. Boswell, Law
Classified KF4819 .B67 2006
Immigration Fundamentals : a guide to law and practice/Austin
T. Fragomen et al., Law Classified KF4819 .F72
Kurzban's immigration law sourcebook : a comprehensive
outline and reference tool / Ira J. Kurzban, Law Classified
KF4819.3 .K87 2010
To Find a Treatise Online
 Westlaw: click on Directory and enter the title or
words in the title, or immigration law in search box;
go to DirectoryTopical Practice
AreasImmigrationForms, Treatises, CLEs and
Other Practice Material (use “I” link to check
description, author, title, updating)
 Lexis: click on “Find a Source” tab; same process; go
to Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > Immigration >
Search Analysis, Law Reviews & Journals (use “I”
link to check description, author, title, updating.)
Journals and Law Reviews
 Index to Legal Periodicals
 Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
 LegalTrac
 HeinOnline: Law Journal Library
 Lexis: Law Reviews, CLE, Legal Journals &
Periodicals, Combined; Immigration Law Review
Articles, Combined
 Westlaw: TP-ALL; JLR; IM-TP
Statistics, Reports and other Data
 TRAC DHS-provides latest information on DHS
convictions, immigration and customs enforcement
data, numerous DHS tables and reports.
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http://trac.syr.edu/tracdhs/
 Immigration statistics
 http://www.dhs.gov/files/statistics/immigration.shtm
Organizations
 ABA Commission on Immigration Policy, Practice
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and Pro Bono:
http://www.abanet.org/immigration/
American Immigration Lawyers Association:
http://www.aila.org
Center for Immigration Studies: http://www.cis.org
The Federation for American Immigration Reform
(FAIR): http://www.fairus.org/
National Immigration Law Center:
http://www.nilc.org/
Questions?
 Help using databases, locating sources, using
microforms: Ask Shikha or another Reference
Librarian for help
 Appointments: shikha.joseph@hofstra.edu or tel.
516-463-5851