Press Room
Recent AILA Press Releases
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Federal Judge Blocks ICE Enforcement Guidelines and Attempts to Upend Prosecutorial Discretion
AILA and the American Immigration Council respond to the decision issued by a federal judge in Texas blocking the Biden administration's immigration enforcement priorities.
Press Statement: Court Orders Government To Issue 9,095 Reserved 2020 Diversity Visas
On Tuesday evening, August 17, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the Biden Administration to issue 9,095 diversity visas from Fiscal Year 2020 that the court reserved nearly a year ago.
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to the Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
AILA President Allen Orr responded to the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, noting that the “lives of countless Afghans depend on the U.S. government acting promptly to exercise humanitarian parole, resume and rapidly scale up special immigrant visa (SIV) and immigrant visa processing.”
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Federal Judge Decision to Reinstate “Remain in Mexico” Asylum Policy
AILA President Allen Orr shared a statement in response to the nationwide injunction issued on August 13, 2021, directing the Biden administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, commonly known as “Remain in Mexico.”
AILA Welcomes Immigration Reform Opportunity
AILA welcomed the Senate’s passage of a budget resolution measure which would allow the Judiciary Committee to start the process of drafting legislative text to create a path to permanent status for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and essential workers.
AILA Welcomes New USCIS Director Confirmed by the Senate
AILA welcomed the confirmation of Ur Jaddou, the first Senate-confirmed woman and the first person of Arab and Mexican descent, to lead USCIS; AILA looks forward to working with Ms. Jaddou as she and USCIS staff rebuild and restore trust in our immigration system.
Biden Administration’s Latest Move Does Real Harm to Asylum-Seeking Families
AILA denounced the Biden administration for plans announced to apply expedited removal to families apprehended in the southern border region; AILA is adamantly opposed and urges the administration to rethink this decision.
AILA: No Surprise that Texas Judge Puts Politics Ahead of Sound Legal Precedent
AILA President Allen Orr and Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responded to the ruling by Texas federal judge Andrew Hanen against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in this statement, urging the administration and Congress to protect Dreamers.
AG Garland Gives Immigration Judges Back Authority to Administratively Close Cases
Attorney General Merrick Garland vacated the precedent decision in Matter of Castro-Tum, restoring “administrative closure,” a key tool used by immigration judges for decades to manage dockets and increase efficiency.
AG Garland Vacates Asylum Precedents That Harmed Victims of Violence
AG Garland vacated decisions in Matter of A-B- and Matter of L-E-A-, both of which had arbitrarily overturned years of established case law. By vacating these two decisions, the AG has restored access to asylum for many people fleeing persecution abroad.
Nine Years Since DACA Was Announced – the Senate Needs to Act
AILA celebrated the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, but AILA President Allen Orr, Jr. called on Congress to enact permanent protection for Dreamers, saying it “would be a moral and economic victory for the entire country.”
AILA Elects New Officers for 2021-2022
AILA selected officers for the 2021-2022 term. Allen Orr, Jr. was installed as President and the following officers were elected: Jeremy McKinney as President-Elect, Farshad Owji as First Vice President, Kelli Stump as Second Vice President, Jeff Joseph as Treasurer, and Alexis Axelrad as Secretary.
AILA Presents Robert Juceam with the Founders Award
AILA recognizes Robert Juceam, of New York, NY, with the Founders Award, which is given from time to time to the person or entity having the most substantial impact on the field of immigration law or policy.
AILA Presents Sarah Peterson with the 2021 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA recognizes Sarah Peterson of Minneapolis, MN, with the 2021 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award, in recognition of her 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 Lily S. Axelrod with the 2021 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA recognizes Lily S. Axelrod of Memphis, TN, with the 2021 Sam Williamson Mentor Award, in acknowledgment of her outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.
AILA Presents Margo Cowan with the 2021 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award
AILA recognizes Margo Cowan of Tucson, AZ, with the 2021 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field.
AILA Presents Stuart Anderson with the 2021 Media Leadership Award
AILA recognizes Stuart Anderson, senior contributor to Forbes Magazine and Executive Director of the National Foundation for American Policy with the 2021 Media Leadership Award, given to individuals whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants.
AILA Presents Brittany Faith with the 2021 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award
AILA recognizes Brittany Faith, of Chattanooga, TN, with the 2021 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for her outstanding contributions made as a young lawyer in the field of immigration and nationality law.
AILA Presents Paul Hughes and Mary Kenney with the 2021 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award
AILA recognizes two litigators this year with the 2021 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law: Paul Hughes and Mary Kenney.
AILA Presents David Thronson with the 2021 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award
AILA recognizes David Thronson, the Alan S. Zekelman Professor of Int’l Human Rights Law at the Michigan State University College of Law, director of the Talsky Ctr for Human Rights of Women and Children, and cofounder of the Imm. Law Clinic, with the 2021 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award.
AILA Presents Rekha Sharma-Crawford with the 2021 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award
AILA recognizes Rekha Sharma-Crawford of Kansas City, MO, with the 2021 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.
AILA Presents Dahlia Walker-Huntington with the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award
AILA recognizes Dahlia Walker-Huntington of Hollywood, FL, with the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award for outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion excellence in the immigration legal profession.
AILA Presents Elizabeth Jordan with the 2021 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA recognizes Elizabeth Jordan of Denver, CO, with the 2021 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
AILA Presents Luis Cortes Romero with the 2021 Advocacy Award
AILA recognizes Luis Cortes Romero of Kent, WA, with the 2021 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s advocacy agenda.
AILA Urges Further Shift Away from Detention as DHS Announces End to Contracts with Two Facilities
AILA welcomes news that ICE will end contracts with two detention facilities in Irwin County and Bristol County, but urges the Biden administration to take further action by conducting a full review of all people currently held in ICE custody and expanding community-based case management programs.