Videoconferencing in Removal Hearings: A Case Study of the ...

In total, we conducted two interviews by telephone and two in person at a
detention facility, and we received two partially completed questionnaires. We
considered these data when analyzing other qualitative data to see if there were major
discrepancies between these immigrants’ experiences with videoconference hearings and
the experiences the attorneys described. We saw none; however, the limited amount of
data we were able to gather prevented us from incorporating the perspectives of
immigrants into this study, as we had hoped to do.
Questionnaire from the Executive Office for Immigration Review
We made a written request to the Executive Office for Immigration Review to
interview Chicago Immigration Judges about their experiences with videoconferencing.
EOIR denied our request but agreed to respond to written questions. 56
Questionnaire from the Department of Homeland Security
We made a written request to the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the
Chief Counsel, to answer a series of questions about the experience of trial attorneys with
videoconferencing. DHS did not respond to our request.
56 See Appendix B.
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