Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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AILA Presents Howard “Sam” Myers, III, with the 2016 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA will award Howard “Sam” Myers, III, of Minneapolis, MN, with the 2016 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 Recognizes Alexandra Kennedy with the 2016 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA will recognize Alexandra Kennedy of Seattle, WA, with the 2016 Sam Williamson Mentor Award in acknowledgment of her outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.
AILA Presents Thomas Edward Moseley with the 2016 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award
AILA will award Thomas Edward Moseley, of Newark, NJ, with the 2016 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law.
AILA Details Necessary Steps to Guarantee Due Process to Refugees and Asylum Seekers
In a statement highlighting the release of AILA’s new Due Process Denied report, AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted, “The response thus far from the Obama Administration to the refugee situation in Central America has been abysmal...We can, and must, do better than this.”
AILA Statement on “The H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Examining the Effects on Americans’ Job Opportunities and Wages” Hearing
AILA submitted a statement regarding a Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest hearing entitled “The H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Examining the Effects on Americans’ Job Opportunities and Wages.”
AILA Welcomes Torey Carter-Conneen as Deputy Director of Finance and Operations
Torey Carter-Conneen will join AILA as Deputy Director of Finance and Operations on June 6, 2016; he will serve as a critical member of the senior management team and will work with AILA’s elected leadership in implementing the strategic vision and planning for the organization.
AILA Statement on the Markup of H.R. 5203 in the House Judiciary Committee
AILA submitted a statement regarding the markup of H.R. 5203, the “Visa Integrity and Security Act of 2016” in the House Judiciary Committee highlighting the fact that the bill “would bring our immigration visa system to a grinding halt.”
Mothers and Children Detained in Violation of Court Order Plead for Freedom
Pleading for an end to their imprisonment, 69 mothers who have been detained with their children at the South Texas Family Residential Center, an immigration detention facility in Dilley, Texas, wrote a public letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
CARA: Government Continues to Undermine Access to Counsel and Due Process for Children and Mothers Seeking Protection in the U.S.
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project shared additional evidence that the federal government and private prison companies are failing to provide child care adequate to ensure access to counsel and meaningful representation as a Texas agency considers licensing the Dilley center.
AILA: Shameful Escalation of ICE Raids is Misdirected at Vulnerable Families and Engenders a Culture of Fear
Responding to confirmed reports that immigration authorities are planning another surge of arrests aimed at families and unaccompanied children across the nation, AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis joined AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson in condemning the raids.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Executive Branch’s Immigration Powers
AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis commented on the oral arguments heard today in United States v. Texas noting, “AILA is confident that on the law and facts at issue in this case, it is increasingly clear that there is ample authority and precedent for the president to take these steps.”
AILA: Despite Avalanche of H-1B Petitions, Outdated Cap Means American Economy is Still Missing Out
AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis commented on the H-1B visa cap being reached and that a lottery will be held again noting, “Each petition not selected is a business need unfulfilled and a growth opportunity that is delayed or thwarted.”
One Year Later - Immigrants’ Rights Groups Providing Pro Bono Legal Services to Families Detained in Texas Continue Vital Work
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project marked its one-year anniversary and highlighted the generosity of more than 700 volunteers who combined donated more than $6.75 million in pro bono work in the past year helping nearly 8,000 families start the process of seeking asylum.
Obama Administration Continues to Detain Traumatized Mothers and Children Who Fled Violence
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project filed a formal complaint and called for a comprehensive investigation into the psychological and physiological impact that family detention is having on children and mothers, as well as the due process violations that occur as a result.
AILA Commends Reintroduction of Family Reunification Bill
AILA commends Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) for reintroducing the Reuniting Families Act which would recognize the longstanding and cherished American value of family unity.
AILA: Federal Government Continues Unnecessarily Harsh Enforcement Tactics Harming Families and Communities
AILA President Victor Nieblas stated, “DHS enforcement policies involving women and children seeking asylum at our borders violate due process, repudiate our fundamental values of fairness and justice, and have sown widespread fear and turmoil in communities, schools, and churches nationwide.”
AILA Joins Brief Urging Supreme Court to Uphold Executive Branch’s Immigration Powers
AILA joined a multitude of stakeholders urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm the executive branch’s authority over immigration issues; oral arguments in the case, United States vs. Texas, are scheduled for April 18, 2016, and a decision is expected later in June 2016.
AILA Applauds House Access to Counsel Legislation
In response to the introduction of the “Fair Day in Court for Kids Act” in the House of Representatives, AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted that the bill would, “stop the injustice of forcing vulnerable individuals to face deportation without counsel.”
AILA Welcomes Introduction of Access to Counsel Legislation
AILA welcomed the introduction of the “Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2016” AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted, “This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring a measure of fairness and due process in the immigration system for the most vulnerable.”
AILA Commends Congress for Avoiding Riders Harming Refugees But Warns Against Discriminatory Visa Waiver Provisions in Funding Bill
AILA commends Congress for putting forward an omnibus appropriations bill that largely rejected efforts to force through anti-immigrant or anti-refugee proposals, but is deeply disappointed that changes to the Visa Waiver Program will discriminate against nationals of certain countries.
AILA: Congress Should Reject H.R. 158 Until Its Visa Waiver Program Changes Are More Carefully Weighed
AILA expressed concerns regarding the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act, H.R. 158, and recommended that Congress vote “NO” on the bill unless modifications and clarifications are made.
AILA Condemns Bigoted, Discriminatory Rhetoric
AILA condemns any proposal that would treat someone differently based upon nationality or religion.
Government Continues Incarcerating Mothers and Children Despite Judge’s Ruling
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project calls on the government to fully comply with Judge Gee’s ruling concerning the inhumane incarceration of mothers and children fleeing violence and persecution; thus far DHS has not taken the steps necessary to comply with today’s deadline.
CARA: ICE and CCA Continue to Endanger the Lives of Mothers and Children Incarcerated at Family Detention Facility
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project submitted a new complaint to the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Inspector General detailing the inhumane conditions to which mothers and children are subjected at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
Complaint: ICE’s Continued Failure to Provide Adequate Medical Care to Mothers and Children Detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center
The CARA partners jointly filed a complaint on behalf of fourteen mothers and their children who received or are still receiving substandard medical care while detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) in Dilley, Texas.