Blog: Think Immigration
We believe that immigration law is an integral part of America’s past, present and future. We also know that immigration law is complicated. Here you’ll find experts writing in an accessible way about immigration issues, from big, broad ideas down to specific cases. Our members bring knowledge they’ve gleaned from the daily practice of immigration law to this space and offer their expertise to readers.
Browse the Blog: Think Immigration collection
The Mosh Pit of Asylum Law, Explained
AILA Asylum Online Course leader Tammy Lin highlights the community of asylum practitioners and encourages those who might be hesitant to jump in to take a look at AILA's new online course and get familiar with asylum law, get in the mosh pit, and potentially save a life.
Obtaining a Stay of Removal Through Litigation
AILA author Robert Pauw explains how he determines whether a potential client might be well-served by pursuing federal litigation, including a situation where a removal order is final and unappealable but the person is eligible for some type of collateral relief.
Refugee Labor Mobility: An Alternative Pathway to Safety
AILA member and U.S. Director of Talent Beyond Boundaries Betsy Fisher describes changes USCIS and DOS could make that could help refugees immigrate more easily and meet the workforce needs of employers.
AILA Launches its First “Business School for Lawyers”
AILA member Amanda Brill describes her journey from associate attorney to entrepreneur, including the challenges of learning business skills while continuing to practice immigration law, and how the AILA Business School conference will offer the training she wished had been accessible years ago.
The Serious Flaw in the Biden Administration’s New Border Asylum Adjudication System
In this blog post, three AILA law professor members dive into the impact of rushed timelines as the Biden administration attempts to streamline the asylum process at the border, but which may make it impossible for asylum seekers to provide corroborating evidence of persecution within the deadlines.
Helping Afghan Evacuees Takes Persistence
AILA member Jennifer Atkinson describes the way people came together to help one family from Afghanistan after a six-year-old boy was shot and injured at the airport during the evacuations last year; his family recently safely arrived in the U.S. and his story shows how important passing the Afghan
The Healthcare Crisis and Smart Immigration Solution that Congress Needed to Hear About
AILA member Sarah Peterson testified before Congress recently about the need for immigration reform to help immigrant healthcare workers and also benefit U.S. communities that desperately need trained doctors and nurses; in this blog post she describes two pieces of legislation that could make a rea
Opening a Wider World on Citizenship Day
AILA Senior Pro Bono Associate Erin Lynum writes about the upcoming 17th AILA Citizenship Day and how naturalization opens a wider world; AILA is proud to partner with NALEO Educational Fund and NPNA again for this inspiring effort.
New Documentary Exposes the Realities of Life in Afghanistan for Women
Inspired by a new documentary about the issue, AILA member Mona Shah and co-authors Sarah Salarano and Shaun Chaudhry describe the terrible situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan and urge all of us to become informed and to take action.
Cascading Errors of a Wrong Address
AILA Practice and Policy Counsel Amy Grenier highlights the due process concerns that arise when CBP enters incorrect addresses for vulnerable migrants, sending vital paperwork astray and undermining the migrants' chances to successfully request asylum and protection.
Afghan Allies Still Waiting for America’s Help One Year Later
As we recognize the one-year anniversary of Kabul's fall, Mahsa Khanbabai, Parastoo Zahedi, and Spojmie Nasiri highlight efforts of the AILA Afghan Taskforce and why the Afghan Adjustment Act is so important for the U.S. to live up to its promises to protect our allies.
Why We’re Celebrating the Senate’s Passage of Legislation Without Immigration
AILA's Greg Chen describes the Senate passage of the budget reconciliation bill and the fight against the many anti-immigrant amendments offered.
You’d Think the Threat of Death Would Be Enough
In this blog post, AILA President Jeremy McKinney describes a recent win for his client in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that will help protect asylum seekers and how this case only emphasizes why we need an independent immigration court, free from politicization.
Abuse in ICE Detention Continues and So Does the Funding for It
AILA Policy Counsel Jen Whitlock describes the reports and examples of harmful, unnecessary, and wasteful ICE detention and urges readers to take action and tell Congress to reduce ICE detention bed funding for Fiscal Year 2023.
Why Supporting “Documented Dreamers” Is A Good Idea
AILA member Aaron Kochenderfer explains the plight of “Documented Dreamers“ who are children of employment-based visa holders waiting for permanent residency and urges support of the America's Children Act of 2021 to alleviate their uncertainty.
Immigration and the Power of Storytelling
In this blog post, AILA member John Wheaton writes on the power of storytelling in bringing people together and creating community, encouraging his fellow attorneys to consider asking clients to share their stories and increase understanding of the immigrant experience.
SCOTUS Gets it Right: The Biden Administration Can End the Inhumane Remain in Mexico Program
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Amy Grenier describes the recent Supreme Court decision, affirming the Biden administration can indeed end the inhumane Remain in Mexico/Migrant Protection Protocols implemented by the Trump administration, and previews what comes next.
Ten Years Later, DREAMers and So Many Others Still Need Permanent Protection
Jeremy McKinney reflects on the importance of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative but urges Congress to take long overdue action to permanently protect DREAMers and other immigrants who have uncertainty.
U.S. Immigration Law – Looking Back 30+ Years
Long-time AILA member Michael Davis shares insights from his decades of practice, including the impact of 245(i) and some reflections on processes and procedures from years past, as part of our final blog post series celebrating AILA's 75 years.
AILA Members Share Dramatic and Complex 245(i) Stories, Part 1
For our final blog post series to celebrate our 75th anniversary year, we asked members to share their most dramatic or interesting 245(i) story with us on Think Immigration. In this post, read about hidden eligibility, tears, unique circumstances, and cases that are still ongoing today!
Efforts to Restore Asylum at the Border Hobbled by the Courts and Congress
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Amy Grenier shares insights on where things stand with Title 42, and the new interim final rule on asylum and credible fear, noting that “both face challenges before the federal courts and Congress.“
AILA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Work
AILA 2021-22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair Ban Al-Wardi shares insights into the committee's accomplishments this year and how the AILA community can engage on various DEI Committee efforts, including the 21-Day Invitation starting June 1.
Detention Ombudsman Reports 52% of Complaints Were About Living Conditions
AILA Policy Counsel Jen Whitlock writes about the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) including the office's history, the data it has shared so far, and some key questions that remain; she urges everyone to use AILA's advocacy tool to tell Congress immigration detention is inhumane
With A Gun To Their Head
In this video blog post, AILA Law Student Member Nathan Hall describes why he decided to dig into the issue of the “serious nonpolitical crime“ bar and its impact on asylum seekers when he wrote his piece for the April 2022 edition of the AILA Law Journal.
Fast Tracking Asylum at the Border will Undermine Due Process
In this blog post, AILA's Amy Grenier walks through the significant due process concerns that have been expressed about the Interim Final Rule on asylum processing from the Biden administration and why having sufficient time, to seek counsel and pull together a substantive claim, is so important.