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2015

Sign-on Letter to Director Saldaña on Implementing PEP

11/12/2015
On 11/12/15, AILA joined immigration, labor, and civil rights organizations in requesting a meeting with ICE Director Saldaña on the implementation of the Priority Enforcement Program.
AILA Doc. No. 15111301

Sign-on Letter to the President Opposing DHS Reported Plans to Conduct Nationwide Raids

12/31/2015
On 12/31/15, over 150 organizations joined AILA in expressing opposition to the DHS reported plans to conduct nationwide raids to round up and deport Central American children and their parents. The letter urges the President to offer greater protection to Central American families fleeing violence.
AILA Doc. No. 15123102

Letter to USCIS and ICE Concerning Due Process Violations at Detention Facilities

12/24/2015
Joint letter from AILA, the American Immigration Council, CLINIC, RAICES, and Human Rights First to USCIS and ICE concerning glaring due process violations which have led to the deportation of families with valid claims for asylum or other protection under U.S. law.
AILA Doc. No. 15122499

Sign-on Letter Urging CBP to Implement the Body-Worn Cameras Program

12/18/2015
On 12/18/15, AILA joined civil rights, criminal justice, faith-based, and immigration groups in urging CBP Commissioner Kerlikowske to mandate the broad use of body-worn cameras.
AILA Doc. No. 15122103

Sign-on Letter Expressing Concerns with Visa Waiver Program Bills As Part of the Omnibus Spending Bill

12/10/2015
On 12/10/15, AILA joined 76 organizations in opposing any proposal that would scapegoat against nationals of Iraq, Syria, Iran, or Sudan who are citizens of VWP countries; and exempt citizens of VWP countries who traveled to Iraq, Syria, Iran, or Sudan for professional/educational purposes.
AILA Doc. No. 15121102

Sign-On Letter to USCIS on Special Immigrant Juveniles

12/7/2015
On 12/7/15, AILA and other stakeholders submitted recommendations to USCIS on SIJ adjudications. Topics included consent function, identification requirements for biometrics appointments, RFEs and NOIDs, interviews, 180-day adjudications, training, filing practices, and communication with the NBC.
AILA Doc. No. 16122711

Sign-On Letter Urging Legislators to Oppose Policy Riders That Harm the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

12/1/2015
On 12/1/15, AILA joined faith, labor, refugee, and humanitarian aid organizations, as well as civil and human rights groups, in urging members of Congress to support the U.S. refugee resettlement program and oppose any policy riders that would stop, pause, or defund resettlement of Syrian refugees.
AILA Doc. No. 15120804

Sign-On Letter Expressing Concern on Visa Waiver Program Legislation

12/4/2015
On 12/4/15, AILA along with various immigrant, human, and civil rights organizations urged House Representatives to remove provisions that target people who visit or are from Syria or Iraq from any Visa Waiver Program legislation, including the omnibus appropriations bill.
AILA Doc. No. 15120801

Sign-on Letter to Congress Opposing Immigration Policy Riders

11/20/2015
On 11/20/15, AILA joined 44 organizations in urging Congress to pass an appropriation bill for FY2016 free of immigration policy riders.
AILA Doc. No. 15112301

AILA Vote Recommendations on H.R. 4038

1/15/2016
AILA urges members of Congress to vote NO on Representative McCaul’s American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015 (H.R. 4038), which would halt the refugee resettlement program for Iraqis and Syrians.
AILA Doc. No. 15111837

AILA Urges House Members to Oppose Suspending or Restricting Refugee Programs

11/18/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing on 11/19/15 titled “The Syrian Refugee Crisis and its Impact on the Security of the U.S. Refugee Admission Program.”
AILA Doc. No. 15111835

AILA Urges Senators to Oppose Suspending or Restricting Refugee Programs

11/18/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for a hearing on 11/19/15 titled “The Impact of ISIS on the Homeland and Refugee Resettlement.”
AILA Doc. No. 15111832

Sign-On Letter to Members of Congress in Support of Protecting Refugees

11/17/2015
On 11/17/15, AILA joined humanitarian aid organizations, faith, labor, and civil and human rights groups in expressing support for the U.S. refugee resettlement program and opposing any proposals to suspend or restrict funding for Syrian and other refugees.
AILA Doc. No. 15111732

Sign-on Letter Raise Concerns About Access to Asylum for Anyone with a Prior Removal Order

11/9/2015
On 11/9/15, AILA joined 63 organizations in urging the Department of Homeland Security to undertake rulemaking that would allow all asylum seekers, including individuals with prior removal orders, to apply for asylum, in addition to withholding removal.
AILA Doc. No. 15111032

AILA Calls for a Workable Effective Date in Any New EB-5 Legislation

11/3/2015
AILA urges Congress to not apply any new EB-5 laws retroactively to the over 13,000 pending petitions by citing a number of harmful consequences and demonstrating the length of time typically involved from EB-5 project conception to USCIS adjudication.
AILA Doc. No. 15110460

Sign-on Letter to ICE on Processing Immigrants Set for Early Release from BOP

10/29/2015
On 10/29/15, AILA joined a number of immigration and human rights organizations urging ICE to provide due process to the estimated 1870-2000 immigrants that are scheduled for early release from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) starting 10/30/15.
AILA Doc. No. 15102936

Letter to Texas Officials on Licensing Detention Centers in Dilley and Karnes

10/27/2015
On 10/27/15, the CARA Pro Bono Project sent a letter to Texas officials urging the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to deny licenses to ICE for its two family detention centers in Dilley and Karnes, Texas.
AILA Doc. No. 15102964

Sign-on Letter Urging Senators to Vote No on S. 2146

10/19/2015
On 10/19/15, AILA joined immigrant, civil rights and labor organizations in asking Senate leaders to oppose Senator Vitter’s (R-LA) Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, S. 2146, along with any similar legislation that may come to the Senate floor.
AILA Doc. No. 15101933

AILA Opposes S. 2146, Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act

10/19/2015
AILA’s statement urging senators to vote against the procedural vote on S. 2146, Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, scheduled for 10/20/15. The bill would withhold funds from state and local law enforcement agencies that have policies that help build trust within their community.
AILA Doc. No. 15101930

Sign-on Letter to Texas Officials on Licensing Dilley and Karnes

10/13/2015
On 10/13/15, AILA joined immigration, human rights, and refugee organizations, as well as medical and childcare experts, in urging Texas officials to deny child care licenses to the private prisons operating family detention centers in Dilley and Karnes, Texas.
AILA Doc. No. 15101960

Sanctuary Cities Bill Will Put Critical Law Enforcement and Community Funding at Risk

10/19/2015
AILA, the National Immigration Law Center, and the Center for American Progress created a list of key states at risk of losing significant funding for three programs designed to build stronger and safer communities under Senator Vitter’s (R-LA) Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act.
AILA Doc. No. 15101366

Sign-on Letter to Secretary Kerry, Secretary Johnson, and Director Muñoz on the October 2015 Visa Bulletin

10/4/2015
On 10/04/15, AILA joined a number of immigration advocacy organizations and business coalitions on expressing disappointment to the Department of State’s revision to the October 2015 Visa Bulletin, and urged the administration to reinstate the original dates published.
AILA Doc. No. 15100513

AILA Urges Lawmakers to Increase Resettlement of Refugees Worldwide

9/30/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Immigration and the National Interest Subcommittee for a hearing on 10/1/15 titled “Oversight of the Administration’s FY 2016 Refugee Resettlement Program: Fiscal and Security Implications.”
AILA Doc. No. 15093003

Sign-on Letter to the President on Syrian Refugees Crisis

9/18/2015
On 9/18/15, AILA joined national and local refugee, human rights and faith based organization in urging President Obama to go beyond his commitment to aid Syrian and other Middle Eastern refugees.
AILA Doc. No. 15091801

AILA Expresses Support for Reauthorization of Three Immigration Programs

9/11/2015
A 9/11/15 letter from AILA to congressional leadership expressing strong support for the extension of the EB-5 Regional Center program, the Conrad 30 J Waiver program and the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker program before they sunset on 9/30/15.
AILA Doc. No. 15091101

AILA Opposes Vitter/Grassley Substitute of S. 1814 the “Stop Sanctuary Cities Act”

9/17/2015
AILA statement submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, urging opposition to the new version of S. 1814 which does not ameliorate the fundamental issues in the original bill, but instead, reiterates most of the same and creates a mandatory minimum sentencing structure for illegal reentry cases.
AILA Doc. No. 15091007

Sign-on Letter Opposing Substitution Amendment to S. 1814

9/1/2015
On 9/1/15, AILA joined immigration, community and human rights advocacy organizations in a sign-on letter to the Senate urging members to oppose Senator Grassley and Senator Vitter’s substitute amendment to S. 1814, Stop Sanctuary Cities Act.
AILA Doc. No. 15090436

S. 1814 Puts Law Enforcement and Community Funding at Risk and Hurts Public Safety

9/1/2015
The National Immigration Law Center, AILA, and the Center for American Progress list key states that are at risk of losing funding to three programs designed to build stronger and safer communities under Grassley-Vitter’s bill (S. 1814).
AILA Doc. No. 15090102

Sign-on Letter to White House on Transfer of Detained Transgender Women

8/24/2015
On 8/24/15 AILA joined LGBTQ rights, civil rights, and immigrant rights organizations in a letter to President Barack Obama regarding the recent news that transgender women may soon be transferred to the Adelanto Detention Facility in Southern California.
AILA Doc. No. 15082440

Sign-on Letter to Attorney General Opposing Criminal Prosecution of Asylum Seekers

7/28/2015
On 7/28/15 AILA joined civil rights and human rights groups in asking Attorney General Lynch to end illegal entry and re-entry criminal convictions for individuals seeking asylum in the U.S.
AILA Doc. No. 15080303

Letter to ICE Director Saldaña Regarding Recent Release Practices at Dilley and Karnes

7/27/2015
A 7/27/15 letter from CARA Pro Bono Project to ICE Director Saldaña regarding the coercion and confusion surrounding recent releases from Dilley and Karnes, and the lack of information provided to families before they leave the facility and recent ICE actions undermining the right to counsel.
AILA Doc. No. 15072760

Vote No on H.R. 3009 - Undermines Law Enforcement and Erodes Public Safety

7/23/2015
AILA, the Center for American Progress, and the National Immigration Law Center recommends members of Congress oppose the “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act” (H.R. 3009), a reactionary bill that will not advance its stated goal of protecting American communities.
AILA Doc. No. 15072310

Sign-on Letter to Stop Streamline Prosecution of Asylum-Seekers

7/10/2015
On 7/10/15, AILA joined refugee, faith, and human rights organizations in a sign-on letter to DHS Secretary Johnson and Attorney General Lynch to end prosecution for illegal entry and reentry of individuals seeking asylum in the U.S.
AILA Doc. No. 15072304

Sign-on Letter to Vote No on “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act” (H.R. 3009)

7/22/2015
On 7/22/15 AILA joined advocacy groups to ask House representatives to oppose H.R. 3009 that seeks to withhold federal funding from local law enforcement agencies that limit inquiries into immigration status.
AILA Doc. No. 15072303

Sign-on Letter to Congress Opposing Legislation that Undermines Community Safety

7/20/2015
On 7/20/15, AILA joined immigration, community, faith, and human rights advocacy organizations in a sign-on letter to Congress opposing any legislation that would withhold funding from so-called “sanctuary cities” and mandate cooperation of state and local law enforcement with immigration agencies.
AILA Doc. No. 15072202

AILA Cautions Lawmakers To Protect All Communities in House Statement

7/21/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the House Committee on the Judiciary hearing titled “Sanctuary Cities: A Threat to Public Safety”
AILA Doc. No. 15072102

AILA Cautions Lawmakers To Protect All Communities in Senate Statement

7/21/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary hearing titled “Oversight of the Administration’s Misdirected Immigration Enforcement Policies: Examining the Impact on Public Safety and Honoring the Victims.”
AILA Doc. No. 15072013

Sign-on Letter Regarding Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC and Corresponding USCIS Guidance on Amended H-1B Petitions

6/26/2015
A 6/26/15 sign-on letter from AILA and other associations on the AAO precedent decision, Matter of Simeio Solutions, LLC, and the subsequent USCIS guidance on the filing of amended H-1B petitions in light of the Simeio holding.
AILA Doc. No. 15062904

AILA Letter to Senator Leahy on EB-5 Job Creation Methodology

6/3/2015
A 6/3/15 letter from AILA to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) regarding the importance of various job counting methodologies to the EB-5 Regional Center Program.
AILA Doc. No. 15060436

Sign-On Letter Calling for TPS for Nepal

5/5/2015
A 5/5/15 letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson from 127 organizations, calling for a temporary protected status (TPS) designation for Nepal due to the massive earthquake on 4/25/15.
AILA Doc. No. 15050603

Sign-On Letter Calling for an End to Family Detention

5/11/2015
A 5/11/15 sign-on letter from 188 organizations calling on President Obama to end the detention of children and mothers fleeing violence in Central America.
AILA Doc. No. 15051108

Letter on Detrimental Impact of DMV Regulations in State of California

5/20/2015
A 5/20/15 letter from the AILA San Diego Chapter to Governor Jerry Brown (CA) on the detrimental impact of California’s DMV regulations on international students and scholars and a request for regulatory review and amendment of existing regulations.
AILA Doc. No. 15052801

AILA Letter to USCIS Requesting Opportunity to Provide Public Comments on EB-5 Memo

5/20/2015
A 5/20/15 letter to USCIS requesting that USCIS publish a draft version of its upcoming EB-5 policy memorandum which will address issues arising out of the establishment of a cut-off date for EB-5 China and provide an opportunity for public comment prior to issuing a final memo.
AILA Doc. No. 15052165

Environmental Organizations Oppose S. 750

5/5/2015
A 5/5/15 national sign-on letter from environmental organizations opposing S.750, the Arizona Borderlands Protection and Preservation Act, scheduled for markup on May 6, 2015, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
AILA Doc. No. 15050604

National Sign-On Letter Opposing S. 750

5/5/2015
A 5/5/15 national sign-on letter from immigration, labor, faith, environmental, human rights, and border advocates opposing S.750, the Arizona Borderlands Protection and Preservation Act, scheduled for markup on May 6, 2015, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
AILA Doc. No. 15050567

Justice for Victims of Trafficking (JVTA)

4/22/2015
AILA believes that five immigration-related amendments might come up for a vote today on the Senate floor as part of the Trafficking Bill.
AILA Doc. No. 15042231

AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on Tillis 319

4/21/2015
The Tillis Amendment (319) adds severe immigration penalties for human trafficking violations, but it is drafted in an overbroad manner and covers non-human trafficking offenses.
AILA Doc. No. 15042103

National Sign-On Letter to DHS on Implementation of November 2014 PD Policy

4/15/2015
A 4/15/15 letter from AILA and more than 100 other organizations to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson expressing concern about the implementation of the November 2014 memorandum on prosecutorial discretion (PD) and enforcement priorities.
AILA Doc. No. 15041710

AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on Sessions 298

4/21/2015
The Sessions amendment would eliminate an exemption intended by the drafters to be applied for family members.
AILA Doc. No. 15042104

National Sign-On Letter Calling on the President to End Family Detention

3/17/2015
A 3/17/15 national sign-on letter calling on President Obama to revisit family detention in light of federal district court injunction against detaining to deter and strong new evidence that detained mothers and children are asylum seekers.
AILA Doc. No. 15031860

AILA Vote Recommendations to the Senate Budget Resolution

3/26/2015
AILA urged Senators to vote against immigration amendments to the budget resolution that would present no solution on immigration, require unnecessary/excessive spending on border security, and interfere with Executive Branch’s clear legal authority to implement reforms to the immigration system.
AILA Doc. No. 15032662

National Sign-On Letter Regarding Children Ordered Removed In Absentia Without Notice

2/9/2015
A 2/9/15 national sign-on letter to DHS, EOIR, and ORR expressing concern about the large numbers of in absentia removal orders against recently-arrived children who did not receive notice of their removal proceedings.
AILA Doc. No. 15030961

AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on the Inhofe Amendment 275 – Oppose Massive Escalation of Immigration Detention

3/11/2015
AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on the Inhofe Amendment 275, which would grant DHS extraordinarily broad power to detain noncitizens for prolonged or indefinite periods.
AILA Doc. No. 15031164

AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on Vitter Amendment 284 – Congress Should Protect Constitutional Birthright Citizenship

3/11/2015
AILA recommends Senators vote NO on the Vitter Amendment 274, which aims to redefine the meaning of the Fourteenth amendment in order to prevent the children of undocumented immigrants from receiving citizenship.
AILA Doc. No. 15031165

AILA Recommends Senators Vote NO on the Inhofe Amendment to Eliminate Protections for Unaccompanied Children

3/11/2015
The Inhofe Amendment would strip away critical protections for children fleeing to the U.S. alone in search of safety and humanitarian protection, thus undermining the 2008 bipartisan Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).
AILA Doc. No. 15031163

AILA: H.R. 1147 Would Harm Nation’s Economy

3/2/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives opposing the “Legal Workforce Act.”
AILA Doc. No. 15030362

AILA: H.R. 1153 Would Dramatically Alter U.S. Asylum and Humanitarian Protections

3/2/2015
AILA’s statement submitted to the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives opposing the “Asylum Reform and Border Protection Act of 2015”
AILA Doc. No. 15030361

AILA: H.R. 1149 Will Harm Vulnerable Child Victims of Violence

3/2/2015
AILA statement for the House Judiciary Committee markup opposing H.R. 1149, the Protect the Children Act of 2015.
AILA Doc. No. 15030213

AILA: H.R 1148 Offers No Workable Solution to Serious, Long-Standing Problems with Immigration System

3/2/2015
AILA statement for the House Judiciary Committee markup opposing H.R. 1148, the Michael Davis, Jr. in Honor of State and Local Law Enforcement Act.
AILA Doc. No. 15030212

Letter to Senate Opposing S. 534 Introduced by Senator Collins

2/24/2015
A 2/24/15 letter from AILA to the Senate expressing opposition to the Immigration Rule of Law Act of 2015 (S. 534) introduced by Senator Collins.
AILA Doc. No. 15022564

Letter to Senate Opposing DHS Appropriations Act 2015 (H.R. 240)

2/3/2015
A 2/3/15 letter from AILA expressing opposition to the DHS Appropriations Act 2015 (H.R. 240), scheduled for a vote in the Senate. AILA welcomes, indeed urges, Congress to take up immigration reform but through robust and open debate, not a rushed process attached to a must-pass DHS spending bill.
AILA Doc. No. 15020360

AILA: Mass Detention of Asylum-Seekers is a Humanitarian Disaster

1/30/2015
AILA statement submitted to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for a 1/30/15 briefing titled “State of Civil Rights at Immigration Detention Facilities.”
AILA Doc. No. 15012045

Letter to Secretary Perez on Modernizing and Enhancing the PERM Labor Certification Program

1/23/2015
Letter to Secretary Perez in response to DOL’s announcement that it would undertake a comprehensive examination of the permanent labor certification process and regulatory requirements in an effort to modernize the program and make it more responsive to changes in the national workforce.
AILA Doc. No. 15012342

Letter to the Chief of USCIS Asylum Division on Asylum Division Officer Training Course Lesson Plan

6/16/2014
A 6/16/14 letter from AILA and over 50 other organizations and law professors to John Lafferty, Chief of USCIS Asylum Division, requesting revisions to the Asylum Division Officer Training Course Lesson Plan, Credible Fear of Persecution and Torture Determinations, and the accompanying memorandum.
AILA Doc. No. 15011351

AILA Letter Opposing Four Amendments of H.R. 240

1/13/2015
A 1/13/15 letter from AILA to the House of Representatives expressing opposition to four amendments to the DHS Appropriations Act 2015 (H.R. 240).
AILA Doc. No. 15011347