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 Partners Send Letter to DHS on Rights Violations in Del Rio
AILA and partners sent a complaint to DHS CRCL requesting an immediate dialogue with CRCL staff about a variety of serious violations of migrants’ rights documented by advocates and attorneys on the ground in Del Rio, Texas.
AILA and Partners Urge White House to Change Course After Violations to Asylum Rights and Refugee Laws on Haitians
AILA and partners sent a letter to the White House requesting that deportation flights to Haiti stop, restoration for asylum access at ports of entry, rescind the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s expulsion order, and issue a new termination memo for the Migrant Protection Protocols.
AILA Joins Sign-On Letter Urging the Administration to End Title 42 Expulsions and MPP
After a federal district court held that the government likely does not have authority to implement the Title 42 policy and enjoined the use of the policy against families with young children, AILA urged the administration to stop blocking asylum seekers and restore access at our ports of entry.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Urging the Administration to Stop Blocking Asylum Seekers
AILA joined 71 organizations in sending a letter in response to the notice of appeal in the Huisha-Huisha litigation urging the administration to restore access to U.S. asylum at ports of entry and immediately stop blocking and expelling asylum seekers and migrants.
AILA Urges Congress to Reauthorize the EB-5 Regional Center Program
AILA sent a letter to Congress urging immediate reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program.
AILA and Partners Sent Letter to Biden Administration on Legal Limbo of Afghan Evacuees
AILA and partners sent a letter urging the Biden administration to ensure that U.S.-Afghan allies and other at-risk Afghans do not languish in legal limbo abroad. The letter includes several recommendations.
AILA and Partners Calls for Visa Reforms and Increased Immigration Numbers in Budget Reconciliation
On 8/23/21, AILA joined national, state, and local organizations in urging Congress to not miss out on the opportunity to make important visa reforms and increase immigration numbers via the budget reconciliation package as it considers a legalization program.
AILA Requests Clarity from USCIS on Afghanistan Evacuation Policies
On 8/20/21, in light of the escalating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, AILA sent a letter to USCIS with recommendations regarding USCIS policy and procedures relating to the Afghanistan evacuation and seeking clarifying information regarding humanitarian parole adjudications.
AILA Joins the American Immigration Council in Calling on the Biden Administration to Block the Return of MPP
AILA, the American Immigration Council, and other organizations call on the Biden administration to appeal the erroneous and factually incorrect decision issued by a federal judge in Texas that ordered DHS to “enforce and implement MPP in good faith” for an indefinite period of time.
AILA’s Asylum & Refugee Committee Requests Meeting Opportunity with the USCIS Asylum Division
AILA’s Asylum & Refugee Committee sent a letter to Associate Director of the USCIS Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate (RAIO) Jennifer B. Higgins requesting the opportunity meet and discuss policy updates, trends, and issues in the field of asylee and refugee processing.
AILA Sends a Welcome Letter to USCIS Director Jaddou
On August 10, 2021, AILA sent a letter to new USCIS Director Ur Jaddou requesting an introductory meeting to hear about her vision for USCIS and to share recommendations for the future of immigration.
AILA Requests Clarifying Guidance from IPO Regarding I-765 and I-131 Adjudications for EB-5 Investors
On 8/10/21, AILA sent a letter to the Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) requesting clarifying guidance for I-765 and I-131 applications filed by EB-5 regional center investors with pending regional center-affiliated Forms I-485.
AILA Joins Partners in Urging Congress to Provide a Pathway to Citizenship
On 8/6/21, AILA joined over 200 organizations in urging Congress to support provisions in the FY2022 budget reconciliation package that establish a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, and to oppose any harmful anti-immigrant amendments to the package.
AILA Recommendations on Biden Administration Enforcement Priorities
AILA offers recommendations to DHS on how to improve the interim enforcement priorities and ensure consistent implementation.
AILA and the Council Join Partners in Urging the Biden Administration to Ensure Maximum Visa Use in FY2021
On 7/21/21, AILA joined the American Immigration Council, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), and Value Our Families in leading a letter requesting urgent action to ensure maximum visa use in FY2021 and to ensure that no green cards are lost due to administrative delays.
AILA Supports the Fair Treatment of Asylum Seekers Wrongfully Deported Under the Asylum Cooperative Agreements
On 7/9/21, AILA joined other advocates and partners in calling for procedural measures to allow families and individuals deported to danger in Guatemala under the Asylum Cooperative Agreement program to return and seek protection in the United States.
AILA and Partners Urge Urgent Action Following the Assassination of Haitian President Moise
On 7/8/21, AILA joined a letter to the Biden administration requesting immediate protection of Haitians inside the U.S. and at the southern border after the assassination of President Moïse and serious injury of the first lady, Martine Moïse, at home in the middle of the night.
AILA and the Council Express Concern over President Biden’s Continued Use of Title 42 Expulsion Policy
On 6/30/21, 105 organizations, including AILA and the American Immigration Council expressed alarm and disappointment that the Biden administration is considering plans to continue to use the Title 42 expulsion policy.
AILA Supports Recommendations to the Biden Administration on Reversing Anti-Black Immigration Policies
AILA signed onto a letter urging the Biden administration to consider and undertake additional recommendations for ending anti-black racism in immigration laws and policies.
AILA and Partners Urge DHS to Stop Detentions and Transfers as COVID-19 Cases Spread in ICE Custody
AILA joined Immigration Justice Campaign Local Partner, the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), in urging DHS to suspend the practice of detaining and transferring immigrants as COVID-19 cases in ICE custody trend upward.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Requesting DOJ and EOIR to Repeal the EOIR Fee Rule
AILA and partners sent a letter requesting DOJ and EOIR to repeal the EOIR fee rule that imposes draconian fee increases for critical immigration filings, and to ensure that any further rulemaking involving fees in EOIR proceedings does not deny due process or access to asylum to any person.
AILA and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Press the Biden Administration to Redesignate Haiti for TPS
AILA joined the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and others to call on the Biden administration to redesignate Haiti for TPS considering the widespread violence, civil and political unrest, economic and humanitarian strife, and the COVID-19 crisis and lack of available vaccines.
AILA and Partners Urge DOJ to Review EOIR Personnel and Install New Leadership
AILA and partners sent a letter urging DOJ to conduct a review of all EOIR personnel decisions made by the previous administration, immediately install new leadership in all key posts, and to diversify the immigration judge corps.
AILA and Partners Urge the Attorney General and DHS Secretary to Create a Welcoming, Effective, and Timely Asylum System
AILA and partners sent a letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas and AG Garland with recommendations on how to receive and screen migrants seeking safety in the United States in a humane and orderly fashion, including expanding legal counsel programs and using initial asylum interviews at the border.
AILA Submits Statement to House Judiciary Committee for Markup of NO BAN Act and the Access to Counsel Act of 2021
AILA’s Senior Director of Government Relations, Gregory Chen, submitted a statement to the House Judiciary Committee for its April 14, 2021, markup of the NO BAN Act and the Access to Counsel Act of 2021. AILA urges passage of both bills.