Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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Immigration Justice Campaign Launched to Train Legal Community to Defend Against Ramped-Up Deportation Machine
AILA and the American Immigration Council are launching the Immigration Justice Campaign, which will prepare more lawyers to be cutting-edge defenders of immigrants facing deportation and aims to significantly change the way the government can and will conduct immigration enforcement.
SB 4 Makes Texas Unwelcoming for AILA Annual Conference in 2018
The AILA Board of Governors voted to move the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas to another state in response to SB 4. AILA President Bill Stock noted, “SB 4 serves no legitimate purpose and undermines our country’s principles of fairness, due process, and equal treatment under the law.”
Immigrants’ Access to Counsel Topic of New Rulemaking Petition
AILA and the American Immigration Council have petitioned DHS and DOS to issue new regulations that will ensure all immigrants have access to legal counsel in secondary and deferred inspection, as well as at overseas consular interviews.
Rebecca Schueller Awarded 2017 Michael Maggio Immigrants’ Rights Summer Fellowship
AILA, CHRCL, and NIP/NLG are delighted to announce Rebecca Schueller is the Michael Maggio Immigrants' Rights Summer Fellow for 2017; Ms. Schueller will create a pilot program to provide legal assistance to detainees held at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, OH.
Trump Administration Budget Aims to Undermine Due Process and Implement Mass Deportation Plan
AILA opposes the Trump administration’s newly released FY2018 budget request, which would fund massive increases in immigration enforcement and border security and undermine due process in immigration law.
AILA: Six-Month Extension of Protection for Haitians Is Not Enough
AILA welcomed the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals through January 22, 2018, but is disappointed that the Department of Homeland Security opted for a short extension given the overwhelming evidence that many of the conditions in Haiti that prompted TPS persist.
AILA Releases New Edition of INA and CFR
AILA is proud to release the 2017 editions of the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) and the Immigration Regulations (CFR). AILA President Bill Stock noted, “Both of these references form the cornerstone of U.S. immigration law and no practice is complete without them.”
AILA Urges House Committee to Move Away from Cruel, Costly, and Ineffective “Enforcement-Only” Immigration Legislation
AILA President Bill Stock urges the House Judiciary Committee to move away from cruel, costly, and ineffective “enforcement-only” immigration reform that completely misses the mark “on the kind of reform our country needs in order to build a 21st century immigration system that benefits us all.”
AILA Condemns Enactment of Texas “Sanctuary City” Bill
AILA condemns the enactment of Texas Senate Bill 4, which will encourage unacceptable profiling of people based on immigration status and will undermine the public safety of local communities.
AILA Gravely Concerned by Reports that USCIS Recommends Ending Protections for Haitian Nationals
AILA expressed grave concern regarding reports that USCIS is recommending that the United States end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals in January 2018.
AILA: Impact of “Hire American” Provisions in New Executive Order Remains to Be Seen
AILA President Bill Stock noted, “Any reforms proposed by the Trump Administration as a result of this Executive Order should be based on facts and data, not innuendo and anecdote, and must ensure that our immigration system, including the H-1B program, remain viable tools for U.S. businesses.”
AILA: Job Creators Again Stymied by Outdated Cap
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the USCIS announcement that the H-1B cap had been surpassed within the first five business days of the FY 2018 filing period noting, “Each year that we limit these visas with an artificial cap, we stifle economic growth and all of us lose out.”
AILA: Revised Muslim and Refugee Ban Halted by Federal Courts
AILA welcomed the issuance of two temporary restraining orders halting implementation of key parts of President Trump’s revised Executive Order, issued March 6, 2017, which would temporarily ban Muslims and refugees from travel and admission to the United States.
New State-by-State Interactive Shows How Much Federal Funding Sanctuary Cities Could Lose at the Hands of President Trump’s Administration
AILA partnered with CAP and NILC on a new interactive resource which calculates the amount of funding in sanctuary jurisdictions in 32 states that could be targeted by President Trump’s January 25 executive order.
AILA: No Matter How Written, a Muslim and Refugee Ban Won’t Make U.S. Safe
AILA denounced President Trump’s rewritten Executive Order, effective March 16, 2017, which is again based on the false premise that barring Muslims and refugees from coming to America will make the country safer.
State-by-State Guide Sheds Light on Laws Governing Legitimate Immigration Law Practices
CLINIC and AILA share details about their freely available state-by-state guide to the laws governing the unauthorized practice of immigration law and how legal service providers can protect their clients and recover damages.
AILA: Ramped Up Enforcement Will Trample Due Process and Harm Families and Communities
AILA condemned the recently released DHS memos that set forth a series of aggressive enforcement tactics to be rolled out on a massive scale. These policies, if implemented as written, will trample due process.
AILA: Court Rules in Favor of American Values in Refusing to Reinstitute Travel Ban
AILA welcomed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to keep in place the temporary restraining order barring implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order banning Muslims and refugees from entering the United States.
AILA: Targeting Muslims and Refugees Betrays American Values and Will Not Make Us Safer
AILA denounced President Trump’s Executive Order targeting Muslims and refugees, calling the policies antithetical to core American values.
AILA: President’s Border and Immigration Enforcement Policies Will Undermine Rights and Weaken Public Safety
AILA condemns President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders on border security and immigration enforcement and calls for an end to these divisive policies that undermine rights and weaken public safety.
Complaint Filed as Customs and Border Protection Turns Away Asylum Seekers
AILA and other immigrant and civil rights groups called on the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the DHS Office of the Inspector General to investigate reports that asylum seekers were denied entry despite having asserted a fear of returning to their home countries.
AILA: Ending NSEERS Closes Dark Chapter in U.S. History
AILA welcomed the rescission of the regulatory framework for the discriminatory National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), with AILA President William A. Stock noting that it “wasted millions of taxpayer dollars and caused unnecessary harm to thousands.”
Lawsuit Seeks Transparency in CBP Admission Procedures
AILA, represented by the American Immigration Council and Foley & Lardner LLP, filed a lawsuit to compel U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and to request release of the CBP Officer’s Reference Tool (ORT).
AILA Welcomes Bipartisan Bill to Protect DREAMers
AILA welcomed the introduction of the “Bar Removal of Immigrants who Dream and Grow the Economy” or BRIDGE Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) intended to offer temporary protection from deportation and a work permit for DACA-eligible individuals.
Concerns Raised Regarding Attorney General Nominee’s Positions
AILA raised concerns about the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, with AILA President Bill Stock noting that the role “has a tremendous impact within our justice system, including responsibility for administration of the immigration courts throughout the United States.”