Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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AILA Welcomes New Humanitarian Parole Process for Ukrainians, but Administration Needs to Recognize Disparate Treatment of Populations
AILA welcomed the announcement the Biden administration is building out a process to allow U.S.-based individuals and organizations to more easily sponsor Ukrainian refugees but must redouble its efforts to correct what continues to be starkly disparate treatment of other populations.
AILA Welcomes Designation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status
AILA welcomed the recent designation of Cameroon for TPS which will protect thousands of Cameroonian nationals currently in the U.S. but noted, “We cannot sacrifice one vulnerable population for another. These decisions must be centered in equity and our common humanity.”
New ICE Guidelines for Its Attorneys Prioritize Prosecutorial Discretion
AILA welcomed the recent memo from ICE Principal Legal Advisor Kerry Doyle directing prosecutors “to use their discretion to look for opportunities to resolve cases promptly and in the interest of justice for all parties involved.” The memo will take effect April 25, 2022.
Ending Title 42 Finally on the Horizon
AILA welcomes the announcement from the Biden Administration that the use of Title 42, a public health law, to expel vulnerable migrants at our border will finally end on May 23, 2022. AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson noted, “This day has been far too long in coming.”
Legal Associations Call for Support of Real Courts, Rule of Law Act (H.R. 6577)
On March 29, 2022, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the National Association of Immigration Judges, and the Federal Bar Association sent a letter to Congress urging support of the Real Courts, Rule of Law Act (H.R. 6577).
AILA Welcomes ICE Announcement to Close Etowah Detention Center
AILA welcomed the news that ICE will close the Etowah Detention Center in Alabama and limit the use of three other detention facilities across the country. AILA Policy Counsel Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock stated, “the next step as the wind down is implemented is the release of individuals.”
Asylum Changes from the Biden Administration Will Not Ensure Due Process as Required by U.S. Asylum Law
AILA and the Council responded to today’s release of an interim final rule related to asylum procedures with deep concern, noting that “the tight deadlines and rapid scheduling of hearings” will undoubtedly curtail due process and interfere with the ability to obtain legal representation.
ACLU-NM and Immigrant Rights Groups Call for the Immediate Release of People Detained in Torrance County Detention Facility, and for the Termination o
AILA joined partners in calling for the immediate release, not transfer, of people detained by ICE at the Torrance County Detention Facility following deeply disturbing findings announced by a federal watchdog agency.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Recent Slaying of Immigration Attorney Jim Li in New York
AILA President Allen Orr responded to news that AILA member Jim Li was slain in New York, stating, “It is a tragedy that Jim’s life was cut short, and we will mourn the man he was: someone called to help others.”
AILA Welcomes Biden Administration Moves to Help Ukrainian Nationals But More Needs to Be Done on Several Fronts
AILA welcomed the designation of Ukraine for TPS while also calling on the administration to do more for Ukraine, and move rapidly to offer similar protections to nationals of several other countries that already face dire circumstances on the ground such as Cameroon and Haiti.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Decision Rejecting “Title 42”
AILA President Allen Orr called the D.C. Circuit decision on Title 42 expulsions a “significant victory for the migrant families who have correctly and consistently asserted that the law of this nation protects those fleeing persecution, and for all of us advocating for this cruel policy to end.”
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to SCOTUS Nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
AILA President Allen Orr welcomed the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, noting she has “legal knowledge of immense depth and breadth” and is someone “who embodies the strength that comes through diversity and inclusion.”
AILA Calls on Biden Administration to Help Ukrainian Nationals as Russia Invades
AILA calls on the Biden administration to move immediately to help Ukrainian nationals as Russia invades Ukraine, including expeditious processing and humanitarian relief such as Temporary Protected Status and a moratorium on removals.
Eighty-Five Immigrant and Human Rights Groups Call for Investigation and Demand Private Prison Ban Extend to ICE Detention
AILA and our partners requested the DHS and DOJ OIGs review the implementation of President Biden’s EO phasing out DOJ’s use of private prisons; the request was supported by 85 immigrant and human rights groups that delivered a complementary letter demanding the findings be made public.
AILA: USCIS Needs to Give Meaning to the Words of Its New Mission Statement
AILA applauded the Biden administration’s rewrite of the USCIS mission statement which clearly signals a more welcoming and respectful attitude towards immigrants and recognition of the importance of immigration to America’s success.
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and the National Partnership for New Americans Team Up for Virtual and In-Person Citizenship Events
AILA is proud to join NALEO Educational Fund and NPNA for AILA’s 16th Citizenship Day, taking place virtually and in-person at 20+ events across the country on or around Saturday, February 12, 2022, to help lawful permanent residents take the final steps toward U.S. citizenship.
AILA Welcomes Legislation to Create Independent Immigration Court
AILA welcomed newly introduced legislation that would create an independent immigration court system. The “Real Courts, Rule of Law Act of 2022” was introduced by Representatives Lofgren (D-CA), Nadler (D-NY), and Johnson (D-GA), following two hearings on this issue over the past few years.
Capital Good Fund and AILA Partnership Brings Financial Support to Immigrant Communities
Capital Good Fund and AILA have launched a national program to give AILA members the benefit of offering an affordable financing option to their clients, allowing more people to access legal representation.
AILA Welcomes Administration’s Changes to Attract and Retain STEM Talent
AILA welcomed policy changes that will help America attract and retain individuals with STEM expertise. President Allen Orr noted, “These changes are in line with several recommendations AILA has urged the Biden administration to consider as part of our Vision for a Welcoming America.”
One Year Later, Promises on Immigration Have Fallen Short
AILA reviewed and analyzed the Biden administration’s promises on immigration and the actions taken, or not taken, in our new report. “Still Striving – The First Year of the Biden Administration” covers promises kept and those left unfulfilled in the year since President Biden’s inauguration.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Announced Measures to Strengthen Central America Through Public-Private Partnerships
AILA President Allen Orr welcomed news from Vice President Kamala Harris about planned measures to strengthen Central America through public-private partnerships, noting that such measures must be managed with transparency and the input of civil society.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Biden Administration Recognition of Immigration Judges’ Labor Union
AILA President Allen Orr welcomed news that the Biden administration reversed the position taken by the previous administration and has once again recognized the National Association of Immigration Judges (NAIJ) as the labor union for immigration judges.
AILA Welcomes Merger of American Immigration Council and New American Economy
AILA welcomes the merger of the American Immigration Council and the New American Economy into a unified American Immigration Council which “will have a dramatic impact on the lives of immigrants, the lawyers and organizations who represent them, and communities all over the country.”
AILA Deeply Disappointed in Even Temporary Resurrection of MPP
AILA is deeply disappointed that politically motivated Attorneys General of Missouri and Texas have managed to temporarily resurrect the inhumane “Migrant Protection Protocols” known as Remain in Mexico, noting the result will be to undermine U.S. asylum laws and traumatize vulnerable immigrants.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Latest Travel Bans
AILA President Allen Orr urged the Biden administration to implement common-sense reforms that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 while reopening America, instead of travel bans that only serve to validate xenophobic and racist attitudes.