Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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AILA Presents Allen Orr and Yasmin Blackburn with the 2026 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Recognition Award
AILA recognizes Allen Orr and Yasmin Blackburn with the 2026 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Recognition Award for outstanding efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion excellence in the immigration legal profession.
AILA Presents Jeremy McKinney with the 2026 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA recognizes Jeremy McKinney with the 2026 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award, in recognition of his outstanding service, over a period of years, in advancing the mission, development, and value of AILA for its members and the public it serves.
AILA: Republicans Choose to Shield ICE and BP from Accountability with Funding Bill Passage
AILA President Jeff Joseph responded to the House’s passage of the budget reconciliation bill, in which Congress provided DHS with an additional $70 billion in funding that enables the agency to operate through fiscal year 2029 without future appropriations by the legislative branch.
AILA Recognizes Andrew Rankin with the 2026 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA recognizes Andrew Rankin with the 2026 Sam Williamson Mentor Award, in acknowledgment of his outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.
AILA Presents Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network with the 2026 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award
AILA recognizes the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN) with the 2026 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field.
AILA Presents Ko Lyn Cheang and St. John Barned-Smith with the 2026 Media Leadership Award
AILA recognizes Ko Lyn Cheang and St. John Barned-Smith of the San Francisco Chronicle with the 2026 Media Leadership Award, given to individuals whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants.
AILA Presents K. Catherine Walker with the 2026 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award
AILA recognizes K. Catherine Walker with the 2026 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for her outstanding contributions made as a young lawyer in the field of immigration and nationality law.
AILA Presents Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg and Alexander Smith with the 2026 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award
AILA recognizes Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg and Alexander Smith with the 2026 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law. Each winner was nominated for their superlative legal skills and impact through litigation.
AILA Presents Rebecca Scholtz with the 2026 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award
AILA recognizes Rebecca Scholtz with the 2026 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.
AILA Presents the Asylum Law Clinic at Southwestern Law School with the 2026 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA recognizes the Asylum Law Clinic at Southwestern Law School with the 2026 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
AILA Presents Angelo Paparelli with the 2026 Advocacy Award
AILA recognizes Angelo Paparelli with the 2026 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s advocacy agenda.
AILA Executive Director Welcomes Congressional Call to Protect Iranians in U.S.
As direct armed conflict continues in Iran and across the region, AILA commends bicameral Democratic action echoing AILA’s call for protections for Iranian nationals who are unable to return home and urges similar protections for people unable to return safely to other conflict-affected countries.
AILA: DHS Funding Restored, But Accountability Still Missing
AILA ED Ben Johnson responded to Congress restoring most DHS funding, noting that “it does not resolve the deeper policy failures that led to this shutdown or address the repeated, documented abuses within immigration enforcement that sparked this crisis.”
AILA Welcomes Bipartisan Effort to Protect Haitian Nationals from Deportation
AILA welcomed the work of a bipartisan group of lawmakers that successfully advanced a discharge petition and forced a House vote in favor of legislation that would extend vital legal protection for 350,000 Haitian nationals who are at risk of being returned to dangerous conditions.
AILA Welcomes Senate DHS Funding Vote, Urges Further Reforms
AILA responds to the Senate’s approval of funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that excludes enforcement funding for ICE and CBP, emphasizing that public safety and rule of law are interconnected and that law enforcement agencies must adhere to constitutional and legal standards.
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AILA Executive Director: Federal Court Blocks Administration from Gutting Appeals in Immigration Court
AILA ED Ben Johnson congratulated the American Immigration Council and their litigation partners as the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia halted key pieces of the Trump Administration’s Interim Final Rule that would severely undermine immigrants’ right to appeal.
AILA: Creation of Independent Immigration Court System More Important Than Ever
AILA President Jeff Joseph and Executive Director Ben Johnson welcomed the newly introduced "Real Courts, Rule of Law Act of 2026" which would "lay a new foundation for the courts as an independent institution that will no longer be controlled by the Executive Branch.”
Bipartisan Effort Blocks Unchecked DHS Funding
AILA leadership responded to the Senate vote to block passage of a combined spending bill, driven by opposition to increasing funding to DHS without, at the same time, enacting meaningful measures that check the unlawful abuses and violence being committed in cities across the nation.
AILA: Trump Administration Moves Harm Families and Employers and Do Not Make America Safer
AILA President Jeff Joseph responds to the Trump Administration's recent changes, including the expansion of the ban and halt to the Diversity Visa program, noting the continued weaponization of "tragedies as a pretext to advance anti-immigrant policies" rather than actually make America safer.
AILA: Response to Tragedy Should be Measured and Bolster Security, Not Undermine It
As the Trump Administration made a rapid series of immigration policy announcements and changes following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., AILA President Jeff Joseph and Executive Director Ben Johnson responded in this statement.
AILA: Refugee Re-Screenings Sow Fear, Not Security
Ben Johnson, Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), responded to news that the Trump Administration will reopen vetting for refugees who entered between January 20, 2021, and February 20, 2025.
AILA: Trump Administration Ending of Automatic Extension of Work Permits Will Damage American Businesses, Workers, and Families
AILA President Jeff Joseph and Executive Director Ben Johnson condemned the Trump Administration's announced ending of the automatic work permit extensions which had provided a failsafe for vetted workers stuck in months-long delays, allowing them to continue contributing to our economy.
AILA Condemns Violence in Dallas ICE Shooting, Calls for Compassion and Respect
In response to the tragedy in Dallas this morning, AILA issued a statement condemning the violence and calling for compassion and respect.
AILA: Trump Administration H-1B Crackdown and “Gold Card” Visa Imperil Jobs, Innovation, and Rural Healthcare
AILA President Jeff Joseph and ED Ben Johnson responded to the Trump Administration attempting to apply a new $100,000 fee to H-1Bs and supplant existing visa programs with a “Gold Card” visa, noting that while these changes will not stand up in court, “we are inflicting needless harm on ourselves.”