Courtroom Etiquette / IJ Preferences
The Eloy Immigration Court is located in a facility operated by the Corrections Corporation of America. The facility houses detainees of the Department of Homeland Security.
This unique setting requires the Court to operate differently than other Immigration Courts. The prison's rules impose upon the Court constraints which may not necessarily be present in other Courts (whether the setting is detained or non-detained). Therefore, attorneys who represent individuals detained in Eloy, should become familiar with both the Immigraton Court Practice Manual and the facility's rules.
Dress requirements must be observed by both counsel and potential witnesses to gain entrance into the facility. Counsel should be particularly cognizant of these rules to prevent the loss of testimony of a key witness.
Persons under the age of sixteen ordinarily are not permitted into the facility. If you anticipate having a witness less than sixteen years of age testify in a case, you should notify the Immigration Judge during the master calendar in which the individual calendar hearing is set. If the Immigration Judge approves the appearance of the witness, the Court Administrator will coordinate the entry of the witness with the facility.