Which document authorizes detention or release of an alien?

• A. Report of Investigation
• B. Warrant for Arrest of Alien
• C. Order to Detain or Release Alien
• D. Warrant of Removal/ Deportation

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that custody decisions at the border are made through a specific directive that tells you what to do with the person you’ve detained or encountered. The instrument designed for this purpose is the Order to Detain or Release Alien. It directly authorizes whether the alien will be held in custody for processing or released, and it provides the authority and instructions officers need to act.

A Report of Investigation is just a record of findings from an inquiry and doesn’t grant custody authority. A Warrant for Arrest of Alien is a formal arrest document used in certain enforcement scenarios, but it isn’t the routine authority used to determine detention or release during processing at the border. A Warrant of Removal/ Deportation is the formal removal order that comes later in the process, not the immediate decision to detain or release someone encountered at the border.