Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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Lawsuit Seeks to Uncover Problematic Board of Immigration Appeals’ Hiring Procedures
AILA and the Council filed federal litigation on March 17, 2020, to compel DOJ to release records about the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s hiring procedures for appellate immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals members.
New Rule Seems Designed to Halt Valid Immigration Court Petitions By Drastically Hiking Fees
AILA expressed serious concerns about a new proposed rule that would detrimentally impact individuals seeking a fair day in immigration court by drastically increasing fees required for forms submitted to EOIR.
Ninth Circuit Defends Asylum in Two Rulings
AILA welcomed two Ninth Circuit decisions; one again halts the “Migrant Protection Protocols,” and the second ensures that the administration cannot block someone from seeking asylum solely due to where they presented themselves, either at a port of entry or elsewhere within the United States.
Bipartisan Legislation Underscores Need for Transparency and Accountability Within USCIS
AILA welcomes the Case Backlog and Transparency Act of 2020 introduced in the House to hold USCIS accountable for severe case processing delays and an ever-growing immigration backlog.
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and the National Partnership for New Americans Assist Aspiring Citizens Through Citizenship Day Events
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and the National Partnership for New Americans, are proud to sponsor the dozens of naturalization clinics in cities and towns across the country as part of the 14th AILA Citizenship Day, taking place on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
AILA Condemns Trump Administration’s Expansion of Discriminatory Travel Ban
AILA leadership condemned the Trump administration’s expansion of its travel ban to include nationals from Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan , Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
New Trump Administration Policy Attempts to Turn Consular Officers into Pregnancy Police and Creates a Back-Door Health Care Ban
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson details several concerns with the new “birth tourism” rule and notes, “Given the limited information provided in the rule and the failure to provide sufficient notice and comment to the public, litigation is almost certainly on the horizon.”
AILA Disappointed in Supreme Court Stay of Injunction of Public Charge Rule
AILA expressed disappointment and concern at the 5-4 Supreme Court decision to stay the current nationwide injunction of the “public charge” rule. The administration can now, temporarily at least, implement the Public Charge Final Rule everywhere but Illinois, while underlying litigation continues.
Civil Rights Coalition Successfully Blocks Trump Administration’s Latest Attempt to Implement Health Care Ban
AILA and our litigation partners welcomed the Ninth Circuit’s 2-1 decision to refuse the federal government an administrative stay pending appeal of the preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump.
Bipartisan Bill Brings Needs of Farmworkers and Farmers to the Forefront
AILA President Marketa Lindt and AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson respond to the passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Civil Rights Coalition Successfully Enjoins Presidential Health Insurance Proclamation
AILA and our litigation partners obtained a preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump, thereby ensuring that the administration’s attempt to ban immigrants based on their ability to obtain health insurance will not be implemented while litigation continues.
New Rules Would Create Potentially Insurmountable Hurdles to Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
AILA responds to two proposed rules that will detrimentally impact individuals who are seeking to legally live and work in the United States; the first proposes to substantially heighten application and petition fees, and the second implicates the employment authorization process for asylum seekers.
Civil Rights Coalition Halts Implementation of Presidential Proclamation Requiring Health Insurance
Today, litigators from AILA, the Justice Action Center, and the Innovation Law Lab, with Sidley Austin LLP providing pro bono assistance, successfully halted implementation of the administration’s attempt to ban immigrants based on their ability to obtain health insurance upon arrival to the U.S.
Civil Rights Coalition Files Lawsuit to Halt Implementation of Presidential Proclamation’s Healthcare Ban
Today, litigators from AILA, the Justice Action Center, and the Innovation Law Lab, with Sidley Austin LLP providing pro bono assistance, are filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon to halt implementation of the administration’s 10/4/19 healthcare ban for immigrants.
AILA Welcomes Injunctions on Public Charge Rule
AILA welcomed the various injunctions against the implementation of the Public Charge Final Rule. AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson quoted one order which states, "DHS's new definition of 'public charge' is likely to be outside the bounds of a reasonable interpretation of the statute."
AILA Files Lawsuit to Halt Last-Minute Form Changes as Administration Seeks to Implement Public Charge Rule
Today, AILA filed suit in U.S. District Court to immediately enjoin USCIS from moving forward with its arbitrary and capricious plan to stop accepting the current versions of various forms on or after October 15, 2019, despite having failed to publish necessary revised and new forms.
New Policy Memo Appears Designed to Collapse Board of Immigration Appeals
Upon review and analysis of the recent policy memo impacting the Board of Immigration Appeals, AILA raised several significant areas of concern, including pressure to speed up adjudications without care for due process. The memo underscores the need for an independent immigration court.
USCIS Reestablishes Deferred Action After AILA and Members Campaign for Agency Accountability
AILA welcomed the news that USCIS will reestablish the previous process allowing vulnerable individuals to request deferred action when faced with life-changing circumstances.
Documents Released in H-1B FOIA Lawsuit Shed Light on the Trump Administration’s “Invisible Wall” Against Legal Immigration
AILA President Marketa Lindt and Associate Director of Government Relations Diane Rish comment on USCIS documents obtained through FOIA litigation that shed light on changes to USCIS adjudication practices.
AILA Welcomes Jesse Bless as First Director of Federal Litigation
AILA welcomes Jesse Bless as AILA’s first Director of Federal Litigation. In this position, he will develop, file, and oversee federal litigation and other legal strategies for AILA.
SCOTUS Lifts Nationwide Injunction of “Asylum Ban 2.0”
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responded to the SCOTUS decision lifting the nationwide injunction on the Trump administration’s “Asylum Ban 2.0.” which puts “the lives of asylum seekers back in the hands of their persecutors, including transnational gangs and cartels.”
Immigration Law Experts Debriefed Press on “Port Courts” and Due Process Concerns
This statement includes quotes from immigration law experts relating to the newly established “port courts” and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) who shared insights on the telephonic press briefing held September 12, 2019.
AILA and NALEO Educational Fund Partner to Assist Aspiring Citizens through National Citizenship Day Events
AILA and NALEO Educational Fund proudly sponsor AILA Citizenship Day on September 14, 2019. Now in its 13th year, the day brings together AILA member attorneys, NALEO Educational Fund affiliates, and many others, to help lawful permanent residents take the last steps toward naturalization.
AILA Releases Eighth Edition of Asylum Primer
AILA proudly releases the 8th edition of its Asylum Primer: A Practical Guide to U.S. Asylum Law and Procedure by Dree K. Collopy. The comprehensive, practical guide to U.S. asylum law and procedure has been updated to address the myriad changes since the release of the 2015 edition.
AILA Releases New Practice Management-Focused Resource
AILA is proud to release a brand new resource to help members and those interested in immigration law: Build and Manage Your Successful Immigration Law Practice (Without Losing Your Mind), authored by Ruby Powers.