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 Request DHS to Extend Comment Period for New Proposed Duration of Status Rule
AILA and partners sent a letter to DHS requesting an extended 60-day comment period on DHS's new proposed rule on establishing a fixed time period of admission and an extension of stay procedure for nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and representatives of foreign information media.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Urging Congressional Leaders to Reject Extra Funding for CBP and ICE
AILA joined over 200 organizations in sending a letter urging congressional leaders to reject any anomalies or any other funding mechanisms that would increase funding for CBP or ICE in a FY2021 Continuing Resolution, stating that “filling these agencies’ coffers” even higher “would be reckless.”
AILA and Partners Request DHS to Extend Comment Period on Proposed Rule Expanding Biometrics Collection
One hundred and five organizations, including AILA, sent a letter to DHS and OMB requesting an extension to the public comment period for the DHS proposed rule on the use and collection of biometrics from 30 days to 60 days.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to DHS and USCIS Requesting 18-Month Extension and Redesignation of TPS For South Sudan
AILA joined over 210 organizations in sending a letter to DHS and USCIS urging the agencies to extend for 18 months and redesignate TPS for South Sudan to protect the 84 current South Sudanese TPS holders and their families, as well as recent arrivals who would benefit from redesignation.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to USCIS on the Blank-Spaces Form Rejection Policy
AILA, ASISTA, Tahirih Justice, Freedom Network USA and over 140 other organizations sent a letter urging USCIS to immediately rescind the agency’s processing policy of rejecting applications for blank spaces on forms, which creates unnecessary barriers for individuals, organizations, and agencies.
AILA’s Statement for House Hearing on “Oversight of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services”
AILA’s Director of Government Relations, Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, submitted a statement to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship for its July 29, 2020, hearing on "Oversight of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”
AILA Urges Immediate Passage of the NO BAN Act (H.R. 2214)
AILA issued a statement urging House members to vote yes on the NO BAN Act (H.R. 2214) and to oppose any amendments or changes to the bill. The House is expected to vote on the bill on July 22, 2020.
AILA and Partners Urge DHS and ICE to Release Detained Families Together
AILA and other organizations sent a letter to DHS and ICE urging the immediate release of all families—parents together with their children—held at ICE family detention centers and to not use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to deploy its family separation policy again.
AILA and Partners Urge Senate Leaders to Extend Work Authorizations to Dreamers
AILA joined 182 national and local partners in urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include automatic extensions of employment authorization for DACA, TPS, and other work-authorized immigrants in the fourth COVID-19 legislative package.
Compete America Coalition Sends Letter to DHS and ICE on New Restrictions for Online Classes for F-1 Nonimmigrants
Compete America Coalition, which includes AILA, sent a letter to DHS and ICE expressing concern over upcoming regulation that will create restrictions for online classes for F-1 students. The letter urges ICE to rescind the announced policies and to retain the SEVP guidance issued in March 2020.
AILA Urges President Trump to Leave the DACA Program in Place
On July 11, 2020, the Coalition for the American Dream, which includes AILA, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to leave the DACA program in place and refrain from taking any additional administrative actions that would negatively impact the program.
AILA and Partners Call on DHS and USCIS to Immediately Reinstate DACA
One hundred and fifty-five organizations, including AILA, sent a letter urging DHS and USCIS to immediate reinstate DACA, including accepting initial applications and granting advance parole. The letter also calls on DHS and USCIS to work with the Senate to pass the American Dream and Promise Act.
AILA and Partners Urge New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham to Stop ICE Detention Facility Transfers
AILA and partners sent a letter urging New Mexico Governor Lujan Grisham to prevent transfers and book-ins to ICE contract immigration detention centers in New Mexico, particularly the Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Requesting Asylum Rule Comment Period Extension
AILA and 501 partner organizations sent a letter to various immigration agencies requesting a minimum of 60 days for public comment on a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would dismantle asylum eligibility for traumatized and vulnerable individuals.
AILA and Partners Urge DHS to End Destructive Policies That Threaten the Safety of Immigrant Children
On 6/16/20, AILA and partners sent a letter asking DHS to cease expulsions of unaccompanied children and asylum seekers at the southern border, stop deportation of unaccompanied children living within the U.S. interior without required court proceedings, and to release detained families together.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to EOIR on Premature Decision to Resume the Non-Detained Docket
AILA, the Council, CLINIC, HRF, NIJC, and NIPNLG sent a letter to EOIR recommending that the overwhelming majority of non-detained hearings be postponed for the duration of the national public health emergency. Additional recommendations include a moratorium on the issuance of in absentia orders.
AILA Sends Letter to ICE About Check-In Procedures and Filing Stays of Removal
On June 4, 2020, AILA sent a letter urging ICE to continue with rescheduling appointments and implementing other alternative measures, such as telephone check-ins, for persons who are under OSUP and/or the ISAP, as well as to continue accepting mailed stays of removal at field offices.
AILA Sends Letter to USCIS with Recommendations Concerning the Reopening of USCIS Offices During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic
AILA sent a letter to USCIS providing recommendations for the agency as it begins to reopen local USCIS field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers, and with recommendations for filing accommodations and flexibilities the agency can adopt to assist stakeholders and agency staff.
AILA and the American Immigration Council Send Letter to Congressional Appropriators Regarding USCIS Emergency Funding Request
On May 29, 2020, AILA and the American Immigration Council sent a letter urging Congress to appropriate temporary funding to USCIS only if it includes safeguards related to transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to DHS and CDC on Indefinite Suspension of Protections for Asylum Seekers and Unaccompanied Children
AILA and partners sent a letter to DHS and CDC objecting to the administration's use of the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to implement indefinite, illegal, and life-threatening restrictions on humanitarian protections for asylum seekers and unaccompanied children at the southern U.S. border.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Demonstrating that Nonimmigrants Are Vital to Our COVID-19 Recovery
AILA joined 323 U.S. employers and business-related groups in sending a letter to President Trump and immigration-related agencies highlighting the importance of highly skilled nonimmigrant professionals to America’s economic recovery.
AILA and Partners Send Letter Urging DHS and ICE to Expedite Releases of Individuals in Immigration Custody
On May 4, 2020, AILA and partners sent a letter to DHS and ICE requesting a coordinated and timely plan to expedite releases for individuals in immigration custody due to detainees and employees testing positive for the coronavirus.
AILA and Partners Request Agencies to Extend TPS Re-Registration Period for Yemen and Somalia Due to COVID-19
On 4/22/20, AILA and 68 other organizations sent a letter to DHS and USCIS requesting the agencies to automatically extend work authorization and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for at least 180 days to all current Yemen and Somalia TPS holders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to DOS and DHS Requesting Relief for Foreign-Born Workers and Their Employers
On April 17, 2020, AILA and partners sent a letter to DOS and DHS requesting relief for foreign-born workers and their families and employers affected by USCIS closures and visa processing limitations in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
AILA and Partners Send Letter to DHS and CDC Expressing Concern Over Expulsion of Unaccompanied Children
On 4/16/20, AILA and partners sent a letter to DHS and CDC expressing concerns over DHS’s expulsions of unaccompanied children at the U.S. southern border, stating that these actions run counter to laws ensuring the right to seek asylum and place arriving children at risk for human trafficking.