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2017

Congress Leaves Without Passing Dream Act, Jeopardizing the Lives of Thousands

12/22/2017
AILA is deeply disappointed by Congress’ failure to pass the Dream Act before the December holidays and calls on Congress and the President to grant Dreamers permanent legal status as soon as possible in 2018.
AILA Doc. No. 17122200

Joint Complaint Filed With DHS on Behalf of Families Forcibly Separated in CBP Custody

12/11/2017
AILA joined civil and human rights organizations in filing a complaint to DHS on behalf of family members who have been forcibly separated while in custody at the southern border of the United States.
AILA Doc. No. 17121133

AILA: Congress Must Pass Dream Legislation Before the Holidays

12/8/2017
AILA urged Congress and the President to pass the Dream Act before the December holidays. Failing to act will hurt Dreamers, their families, and the businesses and communities that depend on them.
AILA Doc. No. 17120833

AILA: AG Sessions Cites Flawed Facts in Missive on the Immigration Court System

12/6/2017
AILA condemned attacks by AG Sessions on the immigration courts and the due process rights of immigrants, stating that “For the AG to blame immigration lawyers for imagined trespasses is both malicious and wrong. We will not let that misinformation pass without setting the record straight.”
AILA Doc. No. 17120602

Senate Appropriators Propose Billions for Mass Deportation Machine

11/22/2017
AILA strongly opposes the funding bill released on 11/21/17 by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which would dramatically increase spending on immigration enforcement while stripping funds for critical oversight programs.
AILA Doc. No. 17112262

AILA Deeply Disappointed by Decision to Terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti

11/21/2017
AILA denounced the decision by DHS to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals, effective July 22, 2019. AILA President Annaluisa Padilla noted, “Given the great uncertainty surrounding the future of Haiti…the administration’s decision is shortsighted and uninformed.”
AILA Doc. No. 17112160

AILA: Ending Protected Status Will Tear Apart American Families, Harm Businesses, and Communities

11/7/2017
AILA warned that the decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 2,500 Nicaraguan nationals will harm American families, businesses, and communities.
AILA Doc. No. 17110730

Undeterred by White Supremacist Threats, AILA Stands with America’s Immigrants

10/15/2017
After members of a white supremacist group targeted our building, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson stated: “AILA and its members will not be deterred or distracted from our work and our mission to stand by America’s immigrants and to advocate for fair and just immigration laws and policies.”
AILA Doc. No. 17101499

AILA: Attorney General Derides the Role of Due Process in the American Asylum System

10/12/2017
AILA rejected the baseless attacks on America’s asylum system by the attorney general, noting that “Given the humanitarian concerns involved, the tragedy here is that nowhere in the attorney general’s harangue against the system were any useful solutions that would actually make the system better.”
AILA Doc. No. 17101235

AILA: Trump Administration Erodes Integrity and Fairness in Immigration Courts

10/12/2017
AILA strongly opposes the Trump administration’s plans to impose numeric quotas on immigration judges in order to speed up deportations which threatens the integrity of the immigration court system and the independence of the judicial branch.
AILA Doc. No. 17101233

AILA: White House Principles on Immigration Fail America

10/9/2017
AILA condemned the Trump administration’s “Immigration Principles and Priorities” as destructive and unworkable. AILA reaffirms its commitment and support for real bipartisan immigration reform to increase our country’s shared prosperity and restore our legacy as a nation welcoming to immigrants.
AILA Doc. No. 17100977

New Edition of AILA Treatise on Immigration and Crimes Released

10/2/2017
AILA released the seventh edition of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: A Guide to Representing Foreign-Born Defendants by Mary E. Kramer; the book is a vital resource for any lawyer working with foreign national or naturalized citizen clients who have been charged with a crime.
AILA Doc. No. 17100235

Civil and Human Rights Organizations File Joint Complaint Against DHS on Behalf of Pregnant Women Detained by ICE

9/26/2017
AILA joined six other organizations filing a joint complaint today concerning ICE’s treatment of pregnant women in detention, highlighting inhumane conditions, inadequate medical care and failure to implement agency policy limiting the detention of pregnant women.
AILA Doc. No. 17092630

AILA: Senate Republican Bill Strays From Protecting Dreamers

9/26/2017
AILA recognizes the important work done by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) with the introduction of the SUCCEED Act which offers protection for young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers but expressed concerns about several of the bill’s provisions.

AILA: Latest Travel Ban Will Weaken Not Strengthen America

9/25/2017
AILA expressed concerns about the new travel ban, with AILA President Annaluisa Padilla noting the “changes…will add unnecessary steps to our already robust visa screening procedures and ultimately will block or slow the entry of legitimate business, family, and other travelers.”
AILA Doc. No. 17092504

AILA Releases Fourth Edition of Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court

9/21/2017
AILA released the fourth edition of Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court by Bob Pauw, which provides expert guidance and a summary of case law for practitioners defending noncitizens who are subject to removal or who have been denied immigration benefits to which they are entitled.
AILA Doc. No. 17092136

AILA and NALEO Educational Fund to Help Thousands of Eligible New Americans on National Citizenship Day

9/19/2017
AILA is proud to sponsor the 11th Annual Citizenship Day on Saturday, September 23, 2017; the event, a partnership with the NALEO Educational Fund, brings together AILA attorneys across the country, along with other advocates, to provide assistance as lawful permanent residents seek to naturalize.
AILA Doc. No. 17091900

AILA Stands with Dreamers, Condemns DACA Cancellation

9/5/2017
In the wake of the announcement by the Trump administration, AILA condemned the cancellation of the DACA initiative and reiterated its support for Dreamers and DACA recipients, calling on Congress to “live up to America’s fundamental principles and stand up for Dreamers.”
AILA Doc. No. 17090536

AILA: Ending DACA Would Be Inhumane and Bad for America

9/4/2017
AILA condemned reported plans that the Trump Administration will end the DACA program with a six-month enforcement delay and urged President Trump to endorse legislation to protect Dreamers “and ensure a solution is passed before terminating the DACA program.”
AILA Doc. No. 17090430

AILA: Court’s Halt of SB 4 Is Win for Immigrants and Entire Nation

8/31/2017
AILA welcomed the decision by federal judge Orlando Garcia to enjoin the implementation of several unconstitutional provisions of SB 4, a Texas law targeting immigrant communities which would have taken effect September 1.
AILA Doc. No. 17083130

AILA Releases New Edition of Business Immigration: Law & Practice

8/31/2017
AILA proudly releases the 2nd edition of Business Immigration: Law & Practice, authored by business immigration law experts, and offers a “comprehensive treatise on the practice of employment-based immigration law from legal minds who know this issue inside and out.”
AILA Doc. No. 99900723

A Shameful Exercise of Presidential Power

8/26/2017
AILA condemned President Trump’s decision to grant a pardon to disgraced Sheriff Joe Arpaio; AILA President Annaluisa Padilla noted, “By pardoning Sheriff Arpaio, the President has undermined the judicial branch, a core institution of our democracy.”
AILA Doc. No. 17082699

ICE Settles Case Challenging Interference with Legal Representation at Dilley

8/16/2017
The parties in Dilley Pro Bono Project v. ICE reached a settlement ensuring access to mental health evaluations for detained asylum-seeking mothers and children. The case was filed after ICE barred a full-time legal assistant with the pro bono project from entering the Dilley facility.
AILA Doc. No. 17081862

RAISE Act Attacks Legal Immigration System; Ignores Needs of U.S. Businesses and Families

8/3/2017
AILA opposes yesterday’s introduction of the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act, which does nothing to reform our outdated immigration system yet seeks to curtail legal immigration levels over the next decade.
AILA Doc. No. 17080370

AILA: House Bills Give Hope to Dreamers, but DACA Still in Danger

7/28/2017
AILA praised the Dream Act of 2017 and the American Hope Act introduced in the House, both of which “would provide young people, who were brought to this country as children and grew up in the United States, the chance to apply for lawful permanent residence, and eventually apply for citizenship.”
AILA Doc. No. 17072866

AILA Urges House to Reject Wasteful and Unnecessary Border Wall Spending

7/25/2017
AILA opposes adding funding for a wasteful and unnecessary border wall to the funding package set to be voted on later this week; members of the House plan to add the $1.6 billion in funding to a spending measure covering, among other things, Defense, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs.
AILA Doc. No. 17072504

AILA Welcomes Bipartisan Dream Act of 2017; Calls on Congress and the Administration to Protect Dreamers

7/20/2017
AILA welcomes the introduction of the Dream Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill authored by Senators Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin, that would provide young people who were brought to the U.S. as children a chance to apply for lawful permanent residence if they meet certain requirements.
AILA Doc. No. 17072003

House Appropriations Committee Gives Trump Administration Blank Check to Implement Mass Deportation Plan

7/12/2017
AILA strongly opposes the funding bill released by the House Appropriations Committee, which would massively increase immigration enforcement and border spending at a time when border apprehensions have plummeted and ICE and CBP funding is already at all-time high levels.
AILA Doc. No. 17071235

AILA: House Bills Erode Public Safety and the Constitution

6/29/2017
AILA urged lawmakers to oppose two bills slated to be taken up this week by the House of Representatives: the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act” (H.R. 3003) and “Kate’s Law” (H.R. 3004), noting that the bills “will undermine public safety and erode our nation’s bedrock constitutional principles.”
AILA Doc. No. 17062900

Judge: Government Still Failing to Meet Standards for Detaining Children

6/28/2017
AILA welcomed U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee’s decision affirming that the federal government is violating the 20-year-old Flores settlement agreement governing the custody and release of all immigrant children nationwide; Judge ordered a Juvenile Coordinator appointed to ensure compliance.
AILA Doc. No. 17062837

SCOTUS Says No Ban on Travel for Those with U.S. Connections But Will Hear Full Case in October

6/26/2017
AILA welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision to consider the Trump Administration’s Muslim-focused travel and refugee ban litigation but raised strong concerns of the potential impact of the decision to lift part of the injunction that had prevented the federal government from implementing the ban.
AILA Doc. No. 17062633

AILA Elects New Officers; Annaluisa Padilla to Serve as President of Association

6/22/2017
Today, AILA elected new officers to its Executive Committee for the 2017-2018 term during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. Annaluisa Padilla was installed as AILA’s President.
AILA Doc. No. 17062234

AILA Announces 2018 Annual Conference Will Be Held in San Francisco

6/21/2017
AILA announced that the association’s 2018 Annual Conference will be held in San Francisco, CA, June 13-16, 2018. The conference had been set for Grapevine, TX, but the Board of Governors voted earlier this month to move the event after weighing the potential impact of SB 4.
AILA Doc. No. 17062134

Free Legal Consultations from Immigration Attorneys During AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans

6/20/2017
On June 24, 2017, AILA, in partnership with AILA’s Mid-South Chapter and Catholic Charities of New Orleans, will offer free Know Your Rights presentations and immigration law consultations in New Orleans as part of the seventh Pro Bono Clinic held in conjunction with AILA’s Annual Conference.
AILA Doc. No. 17062030

Immigration Justice Campaign Launched to Train Legal Community to Defend Against Ramped-Up Deportation Machine

6/19/2017
AILA and the American Immigration Council are launching the Immigration Justice Campaign, which will prepare more lawyers to be cutting-edge defenders of immigrants facing deportation and aims to significantly change the way the government can and will conduct immigration enforcement.
AILA Doc. No. 17061918

AILA Presents the Washington v. Trump Litigation Team with the 2017 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award

6/19/2017
This week, AILA will recognize the Washington v. Trump Litigation Team: Bob Ferguson, Noah Purcell, and Colleen Melody, with the 2017 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award, for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law, during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061917

AILA Recognizes Suzanne Brown with the 2017 Sam Williamson Mentor Award

6/19/2017
This week, AILA will recognize Suzanne Brown, of St. Louis, MO, with the 2017 Sam Williamson Mentor Award in acknowledgment of her outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.
AILA Doc. No. 17061915

AILA Presents Crystal Williams with the 2017 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award

6/19/2017
This week, AILA will recognize Crystal Williams of Morrisville, NC, with the 2017 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 Doc. No. 17061914

AILA Presents Ben Winograd with the 2017 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize Ben Winograd, of Alexandria, VA, with the 2017 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for his outstanding contributions made as a young lawyer in the field of immigration and nationality law. He will receive the award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061913

AILA Presents Leslie Marshall with the 2017 Media Leadership Award

6/19/2017
AILA will present talk show host Leslie Marshall with the 2017 Media Leadership Award, given to the individual whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants, this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061912

AILA Presents Ava Benach with the 2017 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize Ava Benach of Washington, D.C., with the 2017 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061909

AILA Presents the “Airport Lawyers” with the 2017 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize the “Airport Lawyers” with the 2017 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061907

AILA Presents Benjamin Casper Sanchez with the 2017 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize Benjamin Casper Sanchez, of the University of Minnesota Law School, with the 2017 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing an outstanding professor in the area of immigration law, during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061906

AILA Presents Sarah Owings and Ruby Powers with the 2017 Advocacy Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize Sarah Weston Hayes Owings, of Atlanta, GA, and Ruby Lichte Powers, of Houston, TX, with the 2017 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s legislative agenda during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061905

AILA Presents Nora Elizabeth Phillips with the 2017 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award

6/19/2017
AILA will recognize Nora Elizabeth Phillips, of Los Angeles, CA, with the 2017 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award, for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field, this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA.
AILA Doc. No. 17061901

SB 4 Makes Texas Unwelcoming for AILA Annual Conference in 2018

6/7/2017
The AILA Board of Governors voted to move the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas to another state in response to SB 4. AILA President Bill Stock noted, “SB 4 serves no legitimate purpose and undermines our country’s principles of fairness, due process, and equal treatment under the law.”
AILA Doc. No. 17060700

Immigrants’ Access to Counsel Topic of New Rulemaking Petition

5/25/2017
AILA and the American Immigration Council have petitioned DHS and DOS to issue new regulations that will ensure all immigrants have access to legal counsel in secondary and deferred inspection, as well as at overseas consular interviews.
AILA Doc. No. 17052530

Trump Administration Budget Aims to Undermine Due Process and Implement Mass Deportation Plan

5/23/2017
AILA opposes the Trump administration’s newly released FY2018 budget request, which would fund massive increases in immigration enforcement and border security and undermine due process in immigration law.
AILA Doc. No. 17052361

Rebecca Schueller Awarded 2017 Michael Maggio Immigrants’ Rights Summer Fellowship

5/23/2017
AILA, CHRCL, and NIP/NLG are delighted to announce Rebecca Schueller is the Michael Maggio Immigrants' Rights Summer Fellow for 2017; Ms. Schueller will create a pilot program to provide legal assistance to detainees held at the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, OH.
AILA Doc. No. 17052344

AILA: Six-Month Extension of Protection for Haitians Is Not Enough

5/22/2017
AILA welcomed the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals through January 22, 2018, but is disappointed that the Department of Homeland Security opted for a short extension given the overwhelming evidence that many of the conditions in Haiti that prompted TPS persist.
AILA Doc. No. 17052237

AILA Releases New Edition of INA and CFR

5/18/2017
AILA is proud to release the 2017 editions of the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) and the Immigration Regulations (CFR). AILA President Bill Stock noted, “Both of these references form the cornerstone of U.S. immigration law and no practice is complete without them.”
AILA Doc. No. 17051802

AILA Urges House Committee to Move Away from Cruel, Costly, and Ineffective “Enforcement-Only” Immigration Legislation

5/17/2017
AILA President Bill Stock urges the House Judiciary Committee to move away from cruel, costly, and ineffective “enforcement-only” immigration reform that completely misses the mark “on the kind of reform our country needs in order to build a 21st century immigration system that benefits us all.”
AILA Doc. No. 17051703

AILA Condemns Enactment of Texas “Sanctuary City” Bill

5/9/2017
AILA condemns the enactment of Texas Senate Bill 4, which will encourage unacceptable profiling of people based on immigration status and will undermine the public safety of local communities.
AILA Doc. No. 17050840

AILA Gravely Concerned by Reports that USCIS Recommends Ending Protections for Haitian Nationals

4/20/2017
AILA expressed grave concern regarding reports that USCIS is recommending that the United States end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals in January 2018.
AILA Doc. No. 17042044

AILA: Impact of “Hire American” Provisions in New Executive Order Remains to Be Seen

4/18/2017
AILA President Bill Stock noted, “Any reforms proposed by the Trump Administration as a result of this Executive Order should be based on facts and data, not innuendo and anecdote, and must ensure that our immigration system, including the H-1B program, remain viable tools for U.S. businesses.”
AILA Doc. No. 17041850

AILA: Job Creators Again Stymied by Outdated Cap

4/7/2017
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the USCIS announcement that the H-1B cap had been surpassed within the first five business days of the FY 2018 filing period noting, “Each year that we limit these visas with an artificial cap, we stifle economic growth and all of us lose out.”
AILA Doc. No. 17040735

AILA: Revised Muslim and Refugee Ban Halted by Federal Courts

3/16/2017
AILA welcomed the issuance of two temporary restraining orders halting implementation of key parts of President Trump’s revised Executive Order, issued March 6, 2017, which would temporarily ban Muslims and refugees from travel and admission to the United States.
AILA Doc. No. 17031609

New State-by-State Interactive Shows How Much Federal Funding Sanctuary Cities Could Lose at the Hands of President Trump’s Administration

3/7/2017
AILA partnered with CAP and NILC on a new interactive resource which calculates the amount of funding in sanctuary jurisdictions in 32 states that could be targeted by President Trump’s January 25 executive order.
AILA Doc. No. 17030731

AILA: No Matter How Written, a Muslim and Refugee Ban Won’t Make U.S. Safe

3/6/2017
AILA denounced President Trump’s rewritten Executive Order, effective March 16, 2017, which is again based on the false premise that barring Muslims and refugees from coming to America will make the country safer.
AILA Doc. No. 17030635

State-by-State Guide Sheds Light on Laws Governing Legitimate Immigration Law Practices

3/3/2017
CLINIC and AILA share details about their freely available state-by-state guide to the laws governing the unauthorized practice of immigration law and how legal service providers can protect their clients and recover damages.
AILA Doc. No. 17030331

AILA: Ramped Up Enforcement Will Trample Due Process and Harm Families and Communities

2/21/2017
AILA condemned the recently released DHS memos that set forth a series of aggressive enforcement tactics to be rolled out on a massive scale. These policies, if implemented as written, will trample due process.
AILA Doc. No. 17022136

AILA: Court Rules in Favor of American Values in Refusing to Reinstitute Travel Ban

2/9/2017
AILA welcomed the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling to keep in place the temporary restraining order barring implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order banning Muslims and refugees from entering the United States.
AILA Doc. No. 17020900

AILA: Targeting Muslims and Refugees Betrays American Values and Will Not Make Us Safer

1/27/2017
AILA denounced President Trump’s Executive Order targeting Muslims and refugees, calling the policies antithetical to core American values.
AILA Doc. No. 17012701

AILA: President’s Border and Immigration Enforcement Policies Will Undermine Rights and Weaken Public Safety

1/25/2017
AILA condemns President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders on border security and immigration enforcement and calls for an end to these divisive policies that undermine rights and weaken public safety.
AILA Doc. No. 17012533

Complaint Filed as Customs and Border Protection Turns Away Asylum Seekers

1/18/2017
AILA and other immigrant and civil rights groups called on the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the DHS Office of the Inspector General to investigate reports that asylum seekers were denied entry despite having asserted a fear of returning to their home countries.
AILA Doc. No. 17011802