AILA Correspondence with the Government
Read letters that AILA has sent to government officials about pressing immigration -related issues, as well as coalition letters to government officials that AILA has signed.
Browse the AILA Correspondence collection
AILA and the Council Letter to Secretary Johnson on Re-Designating TPS for Haiti
AILA and the American Immigration Council wrote to Secretary Jeh Johnson to oppose DHS’s plan to resume normal deportations to Haiti; and urged the administration to provide humanitarian relief in a number of ways including re-designating Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Sign-On Letter to Secretary Johnson on Re-Designating TPS for Nepal
On 10/17/16, AILA joined over 130 organizations in requesting that the Department of Homeland Security re-designate Nepal for Temporary Protected Status for an additional 18 months.
Sign-On Letter Urging President Obama to Protect Central American Refugees
On 10/12/16, AILA along with all the participants of “The US Response to Central American Refugees” shadow summit held 9/20/16 in New York made recommendations to the President on how to increase protection for Central American refugees.
Sign-On Letter to DHS on Ending Use of Private Immigration Detention Centers
On 9/14/16, AILA joined 343 organizations in urging the Secretary of Homeland Security to end DHS reliance on private prison companies to detain immigrants.
Sign-On Letter to House Judiciary Leaders on H.R. 5992
On 9/12/16, AILA joined EB-5 stakeholder groups in sending a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) that outlines concerns with H.R. 5992, the American Job Creation and Investment Promotion Reform Act of 2016.
Sign-On Letter to Members of Congress on Reauthorizing of EB-5 Visa Program
On 9/7/16, AILA joined a number of EB-5 stakeholder groups in urging key congressional leaders to reauthorize the EB-5 Regional Center Program, before it lapses on 9/30/16.
Sign-On Letter to President Obama on Refugees and Asylum Seekers
On 8/29/16, AILA joined a number of national, state, and local organizations and faith communities in urging President Obama to demonstrate global leadership by making bold new commitments to refugee protection at home and abroad, in advance of the September 2016 Leaders’ Summit on Refugees.
Sign-On Letter Opposing DHS Social Media Collection Proposal
On 8/22/16, AILA joined a number of human rights and civil liberties organizations to convey concern with the DHS proposal that certain categories of visitors to the U.S. be asked to disclose information about their “online presence” in their visa-waiver arrival/departure records.
ICE Director Saldaña Response to Sign-On Letter on Immigration Raids
On 8/12/16, ICE Director Sarah Saldaña responded to a June 2016 sign-on letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the aggressive tactics against Central Americans.
Sign-On Letter to Senators on Opposing Mandatory Notification Legislation
On 7/11/16, AILA joined 215 immigrant, legal, civil rights, faith-based, and labor organizations in urging U.S. senators to oppose any legislation or amendment that would entangle state and local law authorities with immigration enforcement through mandatory notifications.
Sign-On Letter Urging Senators to Oppose S. 3100 and S. 2193
On 7/6/16, AILA joined 169 immigrant, civil rights, faith-based, and labor organizations in urging members of the U.S. senate to vote against S. 3100, Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act, and S. 2193, Stop Illegal Reentry Act, and any similar legislation that jeopardizes public safety.
Sign-On Letter to Members of Congress on Reauthorizing the EB-5 Visa Program
On 7/5/16, AILA joined other EB-5 stakeholder groups in sending a letter to key Senate and House leaders in support of extending the EB-5 Regional Center Program, which is set to expire on 9/30/16.
Sign-On Letter on Immigration Raids and Other Enforcement Actions Against Central American
On 6/16/16, more than 156 organizations joined AILA in urging DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to stop using aggressive tactics against Central Americans, especially families and children, and to ensure due process before an individual is deported.
Sign-On Letter to Attorney General Lynch on Appointing Counsel to Children
On 4/29/16, AILA joined faith-based, human rights, and immigrants’ rights groups in urging Attorney General Loretta Lynch to halt the practice of pursuing deportation proceedings against children who do not have counsel and to guarantee that every child facing deportation is provided legal counsel.
Sign-On Letter to the President Opposing DHS’s Operation Border Guardian
On 3/30/16, AILA joined over 150 organization in opposing a program that the Department of Homeland Security has named “Operation Border Guardian,” and the consequence it may have on refugees fleeing violence from Central America
Sign-on Letter Opposing H.R. 4731: Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act of 2016
On March 15, 2016, AILA joined over 200 organizations in urging the House Judiciary Committee to oppose the Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act of 2016 (H.R. 4731), which would dismantle the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Letter to Director Rodríguez on USCIS Processing Delays
A 3/11/16 letter from AILA to USCIS Director León Rodríguez, expressing concerns over significant backlogs in processing a variety of applications and petitions for immigration benefits, and a lack of transparency communicating current processing times to the public.
Sign-On Letter Opposing Amendment to Eliminate Protections for Unaccompanied Children
On 3/8/16, AILA signed on to a letter opposing Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) Amendment No. 3407, which would eliminate protections for unaccompanied children by stripping away critical protections in the TVPRA of 2008 for all unaccompanied children arriving in the United States.
AILA Statement to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Hearing on the High-Skilled Immigration System
AILA submitted the following statement to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and National Interest for a 2/25/16 hearing “The Impact of High-Skilled Immigration on U.S. Workers.”
AILA Statement to Senate Judiciary on Protecting Children, Families, and Other Border Arrivals
AILA submitted a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 2/23/16 hearing “The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children?”
Sign-on Letter Requesting DHS Secretary Johnson to Waive Discriminatory Prohibitions Under Visa Waiver Program Act
On 2/22/16, AILA joined civil rights, immigrant rights, and human rights organizations in urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Johnson to use his waiver authority to ensure individuals are not barred from the Visa Waiver Program on the basis of their national origin or family heritage.
Sign-on Letter to DHS on Enhancing Due Process for Refugees
On 2/18/16, AILA joined immigrants’ rights, civil rights, human rights, faith-based, and legal service providers in urging Department of Homeland Security to enhance due process for Central American refugees and stop the raids.
AILA Statement to House Judiciary on Protecting Children, Families, and Other Border Arrivals
AILA submitted a statement to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security for the 2/4/16 hearing “Another Surge of Illegal Immigrants Along the Southwest Border: Is This the Obama Administration's New Normal?”
AILA Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on the EB-5 Regional Center Program
AILA submitted a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee for the 2/2/16 hearing “The Failures and Future of the EB-5 Regional Center Program: Can it be Fixed?” expressing strong support of the EB-5 Regional Center program.
Sign-on Letter to the Senate Supporting S. 2449, the “Equal Protection in Travel Act of 2016”
On 2/1/16, AILA joined over 60 organizations urging U.S. senators to support for the Equal Protection in Travel Act of 2016 (S. 2449), bipartisan legislation to address recent amendments to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that discriminate against certain dual nationals.