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Featured Issues

AILA's Featured Issues pages provide a one-stop shop on current immigration-related issues that AILA is actively tracking. This includes government actions and resources, AILA's policy recommendations, and materials and talking points to engage with Congress and the press.

Featured Issue: A Path to Citizenship for People Who Are Undocumented or Lack Permanent Status

3/24/2023
Overwhelmingly, Americans support a path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants and people with temporary status. Take action now and tell Congress to ensure permanent status for these valued members of our community.
AILA Doc. No. 23032300

Featured Issue: Prosecutorial Discretion

11/17/2022
Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in United States v. Texas, this page offers background information on prosecutorial discretion (PD), its importance as a tool ICE, and AILA’s support for the Biden Administration’s efforts to use PD in conducting immigration enforcement.
AILA Doc. No. 22111701

Featured Issue: Practicing during a Natural Disaster

11/9/2022
This page provides resources to help practitioners when they or their clients are affected by natural disasters. It includes general resources and resources related to specific disasters. EOIR announced closures of the Miami, Miami Krome, and Orlando Immigration Courts due to Hurricane Nicole.
AILA Doc. No. 22093051

Featured Issue: Interstate Transport of Migrants and Erroneous Addresses

9/23/2022
This page includes background information and resources on the internal transportation of migrants from one state to another, including busing between states and the flying of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. It also discusses the distinct but overlapping issue of erroneous addresses on documents.
AILA Doc. No. 22092300

Featured Issue: Asylum and Credible Fear Interim Final Rule

12/8/2022
A USCIS interim final rule on credible fear and asylum took effect May 31, 2022, and changes the way DHS processes asylum cases for individuals in expedited removal. This is a resource page to help immigration attorneys understand the new process for credible fear and asylum.
AILA Doc. No. 22071302

Featured Issue: USCIS Accountability and Oversight

3/22/2023
This page will showcase and highlight AILA efforts surrounding USCIS accountability.
AILA Doc. No. 22031106

Featured Issue: Biden Administration Actions to Attract and Retain STEM Talent

7/5/2022
In January 2022, DOS and DHS announced new actions related to STEM work authorization, J-1 Researchers, National Interest Waivers, and O-1 Extraordinary Ability Workers. This featured issue page provides information and resources on these initiatives.
AILA Doc. No. 22012151

Featured Issue: E-Filing with EOIR Now Mandatory

2/17/2022
Electronic filing (e-filing) with EOIR through the EOIR Courts & Appeals System (ECAS) became mandatory on February 11, 2022. AILA brings together resources from AILA and others to help you understand the new e-filing process.
AILA Doc. No. 22010601

Featured Issue: Assisting Haitian Migrants and Asylum Seekers

6/17/2022
With more Haitians arriving at U.S. borders, many seeking asylum and urgently needing protection, AILA provides these resources to assist AILA members and the public in responding to the situation.
AILA Doc. No. 21101500

Featured Issue: Immigration Reforms through Budget Reconciliation

8/8/2022
The Senate achieved passage of a landmark climate change and healthcare legislation through a process known as “budget reconciliation.” The passage of this historic bill in the Senate can be celebrated for not including amendments that targeted immigrants, their families, and our communities.
AILA Doc. No. 21091005

Find Resources for Assisting Afghan Clients

3/20/2023
AILA has compiled a list of resources from AILA and other organizations to help you assist Afghan clients. The situation is constantly changing and information may become outdated. AILA recommends individuals consult with an attorney.
AILA Doc. No. 21081935

Featured Issue: Ensuring Legal Representation for People Facing Removal

3/21/2023
Despite the critical role legal representation plays in ensuring fairness in removal proceedings, the law still does not guarantee the government will pay for counsel if the person is unable to afford one. AILA provides resources on ensuring legal representation for people facing removal.
AILA Doc. No. 21050438

Featured Issue: Immigration Court Backlog and Reprioritization

3/29/2022
The immigration courts require urgent attention to address the 1.3 million case backlog. AILA provides a featured issue page with resources explaining how DOJ and EOIR can reprioritize cases on the docket by removing nonpriority matters.
AILA Doc. No. 21050334

Featured Issue: America Needs a Fair and Independent Immigration Court

3/24/2023
The U.S. immigration court system suffers from profound structural problems that have severely eroded its capacity to deliver just decisions in a timely manner and eliminated public confidence in its outcomes. AILA urges Congress and the Biden Administration to reform immigration courts.
AILA Doc. No. 21041931

Featured Issue: Immigration Detention and Alternatives to Detention

12/9/2022
AILA calls on Congress to significantly reduce and phase out the use of immigration detention for enforcement purposes. Learn more about this issue and how you can join the effort.
AILA Doc. No. 21031937

Featured Issue: FY2024 Cap-Subject H-1B Filing Season

3/17/2023
This featured issue page tracks developments related to the FY2024 H-1B cap season. USCIS's initial registration period for the FY2024 H-1B cap will run through 12:00 noon (ET) on 3/17/23. USCIS will now accept registrations until 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Monday, March 20, 2023.
AILA Doc. No. 19102407

Featured Issue: Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)

10/7/2022
Follow this page for more updates on the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). AILA will update this page on the winddown as they become available.
AILA Doc. No. 19091660

Featured Issue: Public Charge Changes at USCIS, DOJ, and DOS

4/26/2021
Use this AILA Featured Issue page to find resources on the Trump administration’s public charge changes. On April 26, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied without prejudice states’ attempts to intervene in the Northern District of Illinois case that vacated the DHS public charge final rule.
AILA Doc. No. 19050634

Featured Issue: Border Processing and Asylum

3/15/2023
This featured issue page provides updates, analyses, and other resources on border processing and asylum policies, and AILA’s advocacy on the creation of a humane and fair border processing system for all individuals arriving at our southern border seeking safety.
AILA Doc. No. 19032731

Featured Issue: Conditions in CBP Custody

11/29/2021
Conditions in CBP custody are notorious for their harshness and inadequacies. Until the U.S. embraces a welcoming and more humane approach to receiving people at our border, suffering and the loss of life will continue. Immediate and significant reform is needed.
AILA Doc. No. 18122608