Which document authorizes the arrest 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: (B)

The essential idea is that an arrest of an alien requires a document that explicitly authorizes taking that person into custody. A Warrant for Arrest of Alien is the instrument designed for this purpose: it provides the legal authority for an officer to detain the individual, identify them, and begin enforcement action. The other documents serve different roles and do not authorize the initial arrest. A Report of Investigation documents facts after an event; an Order to Detain or Release Alien decides whether someone already in custody should be held or released; a Warrant of Removal/Deportation directs removal proceedings after detention has occurred, not the act of arrest itself. So the document that best fits as the authority to arrest is the Warrant for Arrest of Alien.