As of May 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies are swarming the hallways and lobbies of immigration courthouses, striking fear into people who wish to fight deportation through legal channels.

Remember: People in deportation proceedings can request that their hearings be online rather than in person. 

Non-citizens with legal representation can have their lawyers make a motion to move their hearings online. Those without lawyers can do it themselves by filing a pro se Motion to Change format.

pro se: Representing oneself (in court); without an attorney.

Filing a Pro Se Motion to Change format

WHAT TO SUBMIT
The motion is a legal filing with an explanation for why attending court in person is not possible along with evidence (or exhibits), a form for the judge to fill out, and a “proof of service” page. You can find a full set of instructions and a template at bit.ly/nipmotion. Download a fill-in-the-blank Word document at bit.ly/psmworddoc. The motion must be filled out in English.

In your motion, you can cite travel distance or expenses, lack of childcare, the need to care for a loved one who can not care for themselves, special school events, or other practical obstacles to attending in person.

It is ultimately up to the judge to decide whether or not to grant your motion. Judges have widely varying personalities, so more thorough explanations are more likely to be accepted.