Immigration Law Research Guide: Home

Be sure to read the Access to Databases Guide carefully before beginning your research.

I. Federal Agencies

A. Department of Homeland Security

B. Department of Justice

C. Department of Labor

D. Department of State

II. Primary Sources of Immigration Law

A. Statutory Authority

B. Administrative Regulations

C. Administrative Decisions

D. Case Law

III. General Secondary Sources

IV. News, Journals & Blogs

V.  Asylum Law

VI. Business Immigration Law

VII. Immigration & Criminal Law

VIII. Statistics

IX. Organizations

X. Self-Help

This guide describes primary and secondary legal sources related to immigration law.  It is intended to provide a wide range of materials for beginning research in immigration topics and is not intended to be an exhaustive presentation of all relevant materials.

Researching immigration law can be confusing because it is a complex patchwork of laws, administrative regulations. and decisions from multiple federal agencies and the federal courts of appeal.  Additionally, immigration law is continuously changing.

The guide proceeds as follows:

• Section I describes online government resources. 
• Section II describes primary sources of immigration law: statutes, administrative regulations, and case law. 
• Section III describes general secondary sources.
• Section IV covers newsletters, journals & blogs. 
• Sections V, VI and VII cover specialized secondary sources: Asylum Law, Business Immigration Law, and Immigration & Criminal Law, respectively. 
• Section VIII provides sources for locating immigration statistics. 
• Section IX includes websites of immigration-related organizations which provide useful resources and materials.  
• Section IX covers immigration self-help resources.

Please note that some databases may only be accessed by UCLA or UCLA LAW users; also, LexisNexis and Westlaw passwords are necessary to access the LexisNexis and Westlaw databases. *NOTE: UCLA School of Law provides Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis & Westlaw accounts for UCLA law students, faculty, and staff only.

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For a detailed account of landmark immigration cases, see:

Immigration Stories, edited by David A. Martin & Peter H. Schuck (Foundation Press; Thomson/West, 2005). *Also available online (via West Academic Study Aids Subscription).

• Georgetown Law: Immigration Law (U.S.) Research Guide
• Loyola Law School, Los Angeles: U.S. Immigration Law Research Guide