Title 28

SECTION 68.2

68.2 Definitions.

§ 68.2 Definitions.

For purposes of this part:

Adjudicatory proceeding means an administrative judicial-type proceeding, before the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, commencing with the filing of a complaint and leading to the formulation of a final agency order;

Administrative Law Judge means an Administrative Law Judge appointed pursuant to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 3105;

Administrative Procedure Act means those provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, as codified, which are contained in 5 U.S.C. 551 through 559;

Certification means a formal assertion in writing of the specified fact(s), signed by the person(s) making the certification and thereby attesting to the truth of the content of the writing, except as follows:

(1) Certified court reporter means a person who has been deemed by an appropriate body to be qualified to transcribe or record testimony during formal legal proceedings,

(2) Certified mail means a form of mail similar to registered mail by which sender may require return receipt from addressee, and

(3) Certified copy means a copy of a document or record, signed by the officer to whose custody the original is entrusted, thereby attesting that the copy is a true copy;

Certify means the act of executing a certification;

Chief Administrative Hearing Officer is the official who, under the Director, Executive Office for Immigration Review, exercises administrative supervision over the Chief Administrative Law Judge and others assigned to the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO). Subject to the supervision of the Director, the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer shall be responsible for the management and direction of hearings and duties within the jurisdiction of OCAHO. The Chief Administrative Hearing Officer shall have no authority to direct the result of an adjudication assigned to an administrative law judge unless done so in accordance with the review process in this part, provided, however, that nothing in this part otherwise shall be construed to limit the authority of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer to carry out his or her duties. In coordination with the Director, and following consultation with the Chief Administrative Law Judge, the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer is authorized to:

(1) Advise the Office of Policy on the issuance of operational instructions and policy, including procedural instructions regarding the implementation of new statutory or regulatory authorities;

(2) Advise the Office of Policy on the provision of appropriate training of the administrative law judges and other OCAHO staff on the conduct of their authorities and duties;

(3) Direct the conduct of employees assigned to OCAHO to ensure the efficient disposition of all pending cases, including the authority to regulate the initial assignment of administrative law judges to cases and to set priorities or time frames for the resolution of cases;

(4) Evaluate the activities performed by OCAHO by making appropriate reports and inspections, and taking corrective action where needed, provided that nothing in this part shall be construed as providing for the performance evaluation of an administrative law judge;

(5) Adjudicate cases on administrative review, as provided in this part; and

(6) Exercise such other authorities as the Director may provide;

Chief Administrative Law Judge means an Administrative Law Judge who, in addition to performing the general duties of an Administrative Law Judge, serves as the immediate supervisor of all other Administrative Law Judges in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer and performs other regulatory duties as identified in this part and elsewhere. Subject to the supervision of the Director and the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, the Chief Administrative Law Judge shall be responsible for the supervision, direction, and scheduling of the administrative law judges in the conduct of the hearings and duties assigned to them. The Chief Administrative Law Judge shall have no authority to direct the result of an adjudication assigned to another Administrative Law Judge, provided, however, that nothing in this part shall otherwise be construed to limit the authority of the Chief Administrative Law Judge to carry out his or her duties. In coordination with the Director and the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, the Chief Administrative Law Judge is authorized to:

(1) Advise the Office of Policy on the issuance of operational instructions and policy, including procedural instructions regarding the implementation of new statutory or regulatory authorities;

(2) Advise the Office of Policy on the provision of appropriate training of the administrative law judges and other OCAHO staff on the conduct of their authorities and duties;

(3) Direct the conduct of employees assigned to an administrative law judge team in OCAHO to ensure the efficient disposition of all pending cases, including the authority to regulate the assignment of administrative law judges to cases to promote administrative efficiency and the authority to set priorities or time frames for the resolution of cases;

(4) Evaluate the activities performed by administrative law judge teams by making appropriate reports and inspections, and take corrective action where needed, provided that nothing in this part shall be construed as providing for the performance evaluation of an administrative law judge;

(5) Adjudicate cases as an administrative law judge; and

(6) Exercise such other authorities as the Director or Chief Administrative Hearing Officer may provide;

Complainant means the Department of Homeland Security in cases arising under sections 274A and 274C of the INA. In cases arising under section 274B of the INA, “complainant” means the Special Counsel (as defined in this section), and also includes the person or entity who has filed a charge with the Special Counsel, or, in private actions, an individual or private organization;

Complaint means the formal document initiating an adjudicatory proceeding;

Consent order means any written document containing a specified remedy or other relief agreed to by all parties and entered as an order by the Administrative Law Judge;

Debt Collection Improvement Act means the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-134, Title III, 110 Stat. 1321 (1996);

Decision means any findings of fact or conclusions of law by an Administrative Law Judge or the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer;

Document fraud cases means cases involving allegations under section 274C of the INA.

Entry means the date the Administrative Law Judge, Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, or the Attorney General signs the order; Entry as used in section 274B(i)(1) of the INA means the date the Administrative Law Judge signs the order;

Final agency order is an Administrative Law Judge's final order, in cases arising under sections 274A and 274C of the INA, that has not been modified, vacated, or remanded by the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer pursuant to § 68.54, referred to the Attorney General for review pursuant to § 68.55(a), or accepted by the Attorney General for review pursuant to § 68.55(b)(3). Alternatively, if the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer modifies or vacates the final order pursuant to § 68.54, the modification or vacation becomes the final agency order if it has not been referred to the Attorney General for review pursuant to § 68.55(a) or accepted by the Attorney General for review pursuant to § 68.55(b)(3). If the Attorney General enters an order that modifies or vacates either the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer's or the Administrative Law Judge's order, the Attorney General's order is the final agency order. In cases arising under section 274B of the INA, an Administrative Law Judge's final order is also the final agency order;

Final order is an order by an Administrative Law Judge that disposes of a particular proceeding or a distinct portion of a proceeding, thereby concluding the jurisdiction of the Administrative Law Judge over that proceeding or portion thereof;

Hearing means that part of a proceeding that involves the submission of evidence, either by oral presentation or written submission;

Interlocutory order means an order that decides some point or matter, but is not a final order or a final decision of the whole controversy; it decides some intervening matter pertaining to the cause of action and requires further steps to be taken in order for the Administrative Law Judge to adjudicate the cause on the full merits;

INA means the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, ch. 477, Pub. L. 82-414, 66 Stat. 163, as amended;

Issued as used in section 274A(e)(8) and section 274C(d)(5) of the INA means the date on which an Administrative Law Judge's final order, the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer's order, or an adoption, modification, or vacation by the Attorney General becomes a final agency order;

Motion means an oral or written request, made by a person or a party, for some action by an Administrative Law Judge;

Order means a determination or mandate by an Administrative Law Judge, the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, or the Attorney General that resolves some point or directs some action in the proceeding;

Ordinary mail refers to the mail service provided by the United States Postal Service using only standard postage fees, exclusive of special systems, electronic transfers, and other means that have the effect of providing expedited service;

Party includes all persons or entities named or admitted as a complainant, respondent, or intervenor in a proceeding; or any person filing a charge with the Special Counsel under section 274B of the INA, resulting in the filing of a complaint, concerning an unfair immigration-related employment practice;

Pleading means the complaint, the answer thereto, any motions, any supplements or amendments to any motions or amendments, and any reply that may be permitted to any answer, supplement, or amendment submitted to the Administrative Law Judge or, when no judge is assigned, the Chief Administrative Law Judge;

Prohibition of indemnity bond cases means cases involving allegations under section 274A(g) of the INA;

Respondent means a party to an adjudicatory proceeding, other than a complainant, against whom findings may be made or who may be required to provide relief or take remedial action;

Special Counsel means the Special Counsel for Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices appointed by the President under section 274B of the INA, or his or her designee or in the case of a vacancy in the Office of Special Counsel, the officer or employee designated by the President who shall act as Special Counsel during such vacancy;

Unfair immigration-related employment practice cases means cases involving allegations under section 274B of the INA;

Unlawful employment cases means cases involving allegations under section 274A of the INA, other than prohibition of indemnity bond cases.

[Order No. 2203-99, 64 FR 7073, Feb. 12, 1999, as amended by Order No. 2255-99, 64 FR 49660, Sept. 14, 1999; Order No. 4840-2020, 85 FR 63206, Oct. 7, 2020]