Immigration Article of the Day: Automatic Interim Relief by Aaron S. Jacobowitz

Automatic Interim Relief by Aaron S. Jacobowitz, 93 U. Chi. L. Rev. ___ (forthcoming 2026)

Abstract

Courts sometimes grant interim relief. Typically, this process is case-specific: A litigant requests interim relief, like a preliminary injunction; the parties brief the motion; and the court decides whether to issue the relief sought. But occasionally, statutes or court procedural rules provide for interim relief automatically—no case-specific consideration necessary. The bankruptcy code, for example, awards an automatic stay preventing creditors from reaching the bankrupt debtor’s assets. And several federal courts automatically stay an alien’s deportation pending appeal. Other examples abound.