ODLS Tracker

This project supports immigration legal clinics with two connected monitoring tools, built in sequence. The first tool (ODLS Tracker) helps lawyers locate detained clients and preserve evidence when ICE fails to update public records. Students will build an automated system that checks ICE's Online Detainee Locator System for specific A-Numbers, captures timestamped screenshots, logs results in a database, and sends alerts to attorneys when a detainee appears or their location changes. The output is a web dashboard where legal teams can track detainees in real time and maintain searchable evidence logs for habeas petitions and deportation defense. The second tool (Visa Bulletin Monitor), to be completed if time permits, addresses long-term case tracking for SIJS youth and other visa applicants facing multi-year backlogs. Students will build a system that parses the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin, compares cutoff dates against client priority dates, and notifies lawyers and clients when cases advance, become current, or retrogress. The output is a "tickler" system that reduces manual tracking and prevents missed filing windows. Both tools share similar architecture—automated data ingestion, alert pipelines, and simple attorney-facing interfaces—making them natural complements within a single semester.