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