2018
12/20/2018
AILA responds to the government’s new policy that would force most asylum seekers who have passed a preliminary screening to remain in Mexico pending a full hearing before an immigration judge, and calls on them to immediately restore asylum seekers’ ability to pursue their claims inside the U.S.
AILA Doc. No. 18122040
12/20/2018
AILA President Anastasia Tonello and Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responded to today’s ruling striking down key portions of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision in Matter of A-B-, which restricted asylum for victims of domestic and gang violence.
AILA Doc. No. 18121940
11/8/2018
AILA responded to the advance copy of an interim rule issued by the Trump administration that would gut asylum seekers’ due process rights; a presidential proclamation is expected Friday, November 9, 2018.
AILA Doc. No. 18110860
11/1/2018
AILA responded to President Trump’s announced plans to rewrite American asylum law and procedures and construct tent cities where families and asylum seekers will be detained for years. Details of the plan were not offered, but will reportedly be announced next week.
AILA Doc. No. 18110138
10/31/2018
Announcing the new AILA Law Journal, AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson noted, “All of our 15,000+ members are hungry for new and innovative resources that they can turn to for insights and advice that will help them serve their clients and advance the understanding of immigration law.”
AILA Doc. No. 18103161
10/1/2018
As DOJ begins implementing case completion quotas, requiring immigration judges to finish 700 cases per year or face disciplinary action, AILA voices its opposition to these quotas and renews its call for the creation of an independent Article I immigration court.
AILA Doc. No. 18100103
9/24/2018
AILA condemned the proposed “public charge” rule because it “would prevent many immigrants from securing lawful permanent residence and remaining with their families…simply because they previously received some type of basic health care support, nutrition assistance, or other vital services.”
AILA Doc. No. 18092470
9/19/2018
In response to the AG's decision in Matter of S-O-G- & F-D-B-, which will prevent judges from terminating a case except in exceptionally narrow circumstances and waste the court's time and resources, AILA again called on Congress to create an independent Article I immigration court.
AILA Doc. No. 18091938
9/12/2018
AILA and NALEO Educational Fund proudly sponsor AILA Citizenship Day, taking place on Saturday, September 15, 2018; now in its twelfth year, this event brings together AILA attorneys, NALEO affiliates, law students, paralegals, interpreters, and community members to help those seeking to naturalize.
AILA Doc. No. 18091231
9/10/2018
AILA responds to remarks delivered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to a group of 44 new immigration judges.
AILA Doc. No. 18091042
9/6/2018
The Trump administration announced plans to release proposed changes to regulations that are intended to terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a decades-old court settlement put in place to ensure the safety and proper care of children in immigration detention.
AILA Doc. No. 18090632
8/23/2018
Resources on the AILA and American Immigration Council complaint, filed with the DHS OIG and CRCL regarding a pervasive and illegal practice by DHS officials of coercing parents into signing documents, ostensibly waiving their legal rights, including their right to be reunified with their children.
AILA Doc. No. 18082370
8/17/2018
AILA responds to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision in Matter of L-A-B-R-, which limits the discretion of immigration judges to grant continuances.
AILA Doc. No. 18081736
8/8/2018
Today, NAIJ accused EOIR of violating the Constitution, federal statute and the NAIJ’s union contract by stripping cases away from a judge; Jeremy McKinney, AILA Treasurer noted the grievance “puts the spotlight on how fundamentally compromised our immigration court system has become.”
AILA Doc. No. 18080834
7/26/2018
AILA calls for an immediate stay of the removal and release from custody of all of the victims of this family separation strategy so the families are afforded the chance to be represented by an attorney and to file claims for relief if they are eligible.
AILA Doc. No. 18072670
7/12/2018
Late on July 11, 2018, USCIS and ICE issued guidance redefining core principles of America’s asylum laws which will have far-reaching implications for asylum seekers, refugees, and others.
AILA Doc. No. 18071233
7/6/2018
In this statement, AILA highlights how the new guidance published by USCIS regarding Notices to Appear (NTAs) will needlessly push thousands more cases into the deportation machinery, further clogging the already backlogged immigration court system.
AILA Doc. No. 18070604
6/26/2018
Reflecting on the 5-4 Supreme Court decision today, AILA President Anastasia Tonello stated that AILA will continue to “work to ensure that fairness, due process, and the free exercise of religion and expression are reflected in our nation’s immigration laws and policies.”
AILA Doc. No. 18062637
6/20/2018
Responding to the Executive Order regarding family separation, AILA President Anastasia Tonello stated, “The barriers to due process that AILA attorneys have encountered at every detention facility only underscore what needs to happen: both family separation and family detention must end.”
AILA Doc. No. 18062036
6/15/2018
As Congress gears up to vote on two immigration bills next week, AILA President Anastasia Tonello and Executive Director Ben Johnson raise serious concerns about the provisions which would, among other things, severely cut legal immigration, undermine vital protections for vulnerable populations.
AILA Doc. No. 18061561
6/14/2018
Today, Anastasia Tonello was installed as AILA’s President at AILA’s Annual Conference and the following officers were elected: Marketa Lindt as President-Elect, Jennifer Minear as First Vice President, Allen Orr as Second Vice President, Jeremy McKinney as Treasurer, and Farshad Owji as Secretary.
AILA Doc. No. 18061430
6/14/2018
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is proud to release the 16th edition of Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook at the 2018 AILA Annual Conference being held in San Francisco this week.
AILA Doc. No. 18061400
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Cyrus D. Mehta with the 2018 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law. He will receive the award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061331
6/12/2018
This Saturday, June 16, 2018, AILA, in partnership with AILA’s Northern California Chapter and La Raza Centro Legal, will offer free immigration law consultations. Immigration attorneys will be available to answer questions and assist immigrants with a variety of immigration-related questions.
AILA Doc. No. 18061231
6/11/2018
AILA responds to the Attorney General's precedent decision in which he vacated the BIA decision in Matter of A- B and announced that in his view, domestic violence victims and other victims of crimes perpetrated by private, non-government actors do not generally qualify for asylum.
AILA Doc. No. 18061136
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize the MAVNI Litigation Team of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP with the 2018 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061195
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Helen L. Tarokic, of Wilmington, North Carolina, with the 2018 Sam Williamson Mentor Award for her outstanding counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061194
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Dagmar Butte of Portland, OR, with the 2018 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award for her outstanding service in advancing the mission, development, and values of AILA. She will receive the award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061193
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Patrick Taurel, of Washington, D.C., with the 2018 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 San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061192
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize The New Yorker's Jonathan Blitzer and Sarah Stillman with the 2018 Media Leadership Award, for individuals whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061191
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Sheila Starkey Hahn, of Memphis, Tennessee, with the 2018 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061190
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize John C. Keller with the 2018 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061106
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Rebecca Sharpless of the University of Miami School of Law with the 2018 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061105
6/11/2018
AILA will recognize Dilruba Hashim, of Washington, D.C., and Tracie L. Klinke, of Marietta, Georgia, with the 2018 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s advocacy agenda. They will accept their awards this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Doc. No. 18061104
6/4/2018
AILA and American Immigration Council released a press release on their complaint, filed 6/4/18, regarding inadequate access to medical and mental health care for immigrants detained at the Denver Contract Detention Facility, which is owned and operated by the private prison company Geo Group, Inc.
AILA Doc. No. 18060433
5/17/2018
The AG announced that immigration judges and members of the BIA may no longer “administratively close” cases, except cases that meet very narrow criteria, eliminating a critical docket management tool and effectively ensuring that the courts will remain encumbered with massive backlogs.
AILA Doc. No. 18051753
5/17/2018
AILA joined other organizations calling on congressional appropriators to hold ICE accountable for violations of congressionally imposed transparency obligations in the ever-expanding immigration detention system.
AILA Doc. No. 18051738
5/8/2018
As DHS and DOJ announced new efforts that will result in the forcible separation of vulnerable families seeking protection in the United States under U.S. law, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson called the decision “a gross injustice.”
AILA Doc. No. 18050800
5/4/2018
DHS announced that TPS for approximately 57,000 Honduran nationals will end on January 5, 2020. In this statement, AILA President Annaluisa Padilla responded to the news and called on Congress to “pass a permanent fix to provide relief for long-term TPS beneficiaries.”
AILA Doc. No. 18050436
4/25/2018
AILA and the American Immigration Council welcomed the news that the Department of Justice will not halt the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) for now; AILA and the Council again highlighted the LOP’s benefits to the efficiency and effectiveness of the immigration court system.
AILA Doc. No. 18042539
4/23/2018
In response to a FOIA request, AILA and the American Immigration Council received a partially redacted report written by Booz Allen Hamilton and commissioned by EOIR which offers recommendations to ensure efficient proceedings and due process. The administration, however, has done the opposite.
AILA Doc. No. 18042015
4/13/2018
AILA responds to the news that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it received 190,098 new H-1B visa cap-subject petitions for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, down from approximately 199,000 in FY 2018.
AILA Doc. No. 18041332
4/11/2018
AILA and the American Immigration Council responded to the recent news that DOJ was halting the Legal Orientation Program despite the program’s success and congressional directives to maintain it.
AILA Doc. No. 18041133
4/6/2018
AILA responded to the USCIS announcement that the agency has received more than enough H-1B petitions within the first five business days of the FY2019 filing period to reach the annual H-1B cap.
AILA Doc. No. 18040637
4/3/2018
In a joint statement, AILA and the American Immigration Council responded to the imposition of strict quotas as part of immigration judges’ performance evaluations, a shift that strips away the independence held by judges who are making high stakes decisions about whether a person will be deported.
AILA Doc. No. 18040330
3/29/2018
In a joint statement with the American Immigration Council, AILA responds to a recently released ICE directive that formalizes the agency’s practice of detaining pregnant women.
AILA Doc. No. 18032937
3/21/2018
With Congress set to approve billions of additional funding for immigration enforcement as part of the spending package funding the federal government through September 30, AILA President Annaluisa Padilla noted, “It is absolutely shameful that there is no solution for Dreamers in this legislation.”
AILA Doc. No. 18032107
3/21/2018
AILA’s new report, “Deconstructing the Invisible Wall: How Policy Changes by the Trump Administration are Slowing and Restricting Legal Immigration” highlights the broad array of policy and procedural changes that are harming U.S. businesses, American families, and the national economy.
AILA Doc. No. 18031936
3/14/2018
AILA released a new report detailing how the Trump administration has systematically increased enforcement, using harsh, indiscriminate methods to deport thousands of families, asylum seekers, and people who have lived and worked for years in the United States.
AILA Doc. No. 18031239
3/7/2018
AILA and four other organizations issued a press release about their new report detailing the illegalities inherent in each of the U.S. government’s attempts to enlist local law enforcement authorities to arrest and detain people on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
AILA Doc. No. 18030638
2/27/2018
AILA reacted to and explained today’s Supreme Court decision in Jennings v. Rodriguez; AILA President Annaluisa Padilla emphasized that the decision “does not mean that immigrants may be detained indefinitely and it does not mean that prolonged detention is constitutional.”
AILA Doc. No. 18022741
2/23/2018
AILA expresses its deep disappointment at the Trump administration’s rewrite of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) mission statement to, among other things, remove the phrase “a nation of immigrants.”
AILA Doc. No. 18022333
2/16/2018
AILA expressed deep disappointment in the failure of the Senate to pass commonsense reforms to protect Dreamers. At the same time, AILA commends the many senators who stood firm against the nativist voices demanding legislation to gut legal immigration and make our country weaker.
AILA Doc. No. 18021635
1/25/2018
AILA denounced the latest iteration of the Trump administration’s proposal on immigration as destructive and untenable.
AILA Doc. No. 18012561
1/22/2018
AILA issued a statement about how “Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, once again let politics take precedence over the lives of real people, and has squandered another opportunity to protect Dreamers.”
AILA Doc. No. 18012244
1/12/2018
AILA responded to President Trump’s derogatory and hateful comments about Haiti, El Salvador, and several African countries.
AILA Doc. No. 18011299
1/12/2018
The Immigration Justice Campaign, a joint initiative between AILA and the American Immigration Council, announces its partnership with the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) in an effort to increase the legal representation of detained immigrants.
AILA Doc. No. 18011205
1/8/2018
AILA is deeply disappointed by the administration’s decision to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 200,000 nationals of El Salvador, effective September 9, 2019, stating that the “misguided and inhumane decision” will harm “communities, families, and businesses across the nation.”
AILA Doc. No. 18018061