Immigration Law Research Guide: Primary Sources

• The United States Code - both annotated and official versions of the U.S. Code can be found in the MLIC's Main Reading Room. Titles 8, 18, 29, and 42 contain most of the federal statutes pertaining to immigration.
• Online versions of the U.S. Code-though only the print version of the U.S. Code published by the Government Printing Office is official, there are several reputable online sources where you can find the U.S. Code. These include:
• Federal Digital System (FDsys)
• Cornell Legal Information Institute http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
• United States House of Representatives http://uscode.house.gov/
• Proposed Federal Legislation - Congress.gov
• Legislative Histories
• Selected legislative history for any individual federal statute can be found by using the U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN), located in the Main Reading Room of the MLIC.
• Edward P. Hutchinson. Legislative History of American Immigration Policy, 1798-1965. (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1981) (First Floor stacks) KF 4805.8 1981
• Nancy H. Montwieler. The Immigration Reform Law of 1986: Analysis, Text, and Legislative History. (BNA, 1987) (First Floor stacks) KF 4806.56 .A16 M65 1987
• The Department of Homeland Security: A Compilation of Government Documents Relating to Executive Reorganization. (Hein, 2003) (First Floor stacks) KF 4850 .D47 2003
• Immigration and Nationality Acts: Legislative Histories and Related Documents. (Hein, 1979) (First Floor microforms) JV6424 .U55 1979

• The Code of Federal Regulations can be found in the MLIC's Main Reading Room.
• Online versions of the CFR-though only the print version of the CFR published by the Government Printing Office is official, there are several reputable online sources where you can find the Code of Federal Regulations. These include:
• Government Printing Office http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
• Cornell Legal Information Institute http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/
• Proposed Regulations: Regulations.gov http://www.regulations.gov/
• The Federal Register - current issues can be found in the MLIC's Main Reading Room. Older issues are bound and placed on the 1st floor of the MLIC in the government documents compact shelving.
• Online versions of the Federal Register -though only the print version of the Federal Register published by the Government Printing Office is official, you can also find the Federal Register Online at: Government Printing Office http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html

• Federal Reporter, Federal Supplement, Supreme Court Reporter, United States Reports - each of these reporters can be found in the Main Reading Room of the MLIC.
• LEXIS (Legal > Area of Law - By Topic > Immigration > Cases > Federal Immigration Cases)

Board of Immigration Appeals Decisions http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/vll/intdec/lib_indecitnet.html

Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals Decisions
Decisions from 1993 furnished by the American Immigration Lawyers Association

Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer EFOIA Decisions http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/OcahoMain/ocahosibpage.htm

• OALJ Law Library Immigration Collection (Office of Administrative Law Judges, Department of Labor) http://www.oalj.dol.gov/libina.htm

Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals Judges' Benchbook
Second Edition - May 1992
http://www.oalj.dol.gov/PUBLIC/INA/REFERENCES

• A detailed Table of Table of Contents for each topic is found at the start of each Chapter. The text of the BALCA Benchbook was last revised in May 1992. Supplements may be checked by clicking on the links found at the start of each Chapter.