This chapter explores how the category of the migrant is produced and governed through a set of evolving political and legal practices in Assam. Rather than viewing legal anomalies through a framework of juridical exceptions or liberal rule-of-law ideals, the chapter argues that bureaucratic conventions, informal negotiations, and historically situated procedures shape the functioning of institutions such as the Foreigners’ Tribunal. Through ethnographic accounts, case narratives, and interviews with lawyers, police officials, and affected individuals, the chapter uncovers how decisions about citizenship are often settled through precedents, informal bargains, and discretionary power outside the formal court process. The term ‘political–legal’ is introduced to describe these practices, which blur distinctions between law, bureaucracy, and politics. The figure of the migrant, particularly from the Miya community, becomes central to this process, shaped by discourses of criminality, land hunger, and cultural difference. The chapter situates these developments within the legacies of colonial governance, frontier administration, and contemporary ethno-political anxieties. It critiques the depoliticisation of citizenship debates and offers an alternative lens to understand how citizenship is practised, denied, or negotiated in contemporary Assam.