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
Thinking Creatively about Using the Hague Convention to Combat Family Separation
AILA Law Journal author Sarah Diaz shares in a short video a bit about the process of writing for the Law Journal, the topic she chose, and how AILA members and others can use the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction to help children separated from their parents.
The Biden Administration Needs to Add Digital Modernization into Its Immigration Plans
AILA Board of Governors Member Greg Siskind highlights how the Biden-Harris administration should implement digital modernization of immigration filings, as well as a plea to make sure that attorneys and stakeholders be part of the testing of any new process.
Resilience Among LGBTQ+ Immigrants
AILA Law Journal author Sarah Houston is interviewed by AILA Editorial Director Danielle Polen for the blog, sharing how she became an advocate for LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and how transgender women and men in particular face a hidden epidemic of physical and psychological abuse.
When State Marijuana Acceptance and Immigration Law Collide
AILA Editorial Director Danielle Polen interviewed Kaelyn Mostafa, author of an article in the Fall 2020 edition of the AILA Law Journal entitled “The Effect of States' Legalization of Marijuana on Good Moral Character and Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship“ to learn more about her process and t
Election Day 2020 Is Here
In this post, adapted from a message to the AILA Board of Governors on November 3, 2020, AILA President Jennifer Minear reflects on what today's election means, and noted, “Together, we will get through this day and all the days to come, and I firmly believe that we will emerge stronger than ever.&#
Remote Pro Bono Work in the Midst of a Pandemic
Jacqueline Shi, AILA member and member of the AILA National Pro Bono Committee, shares how attorneys continue to provide pro bono services to vulnerable immigrant communities during the pandemic by using technology and innovation.
Voting Feels Different This Year but is More Important than Ever
AILA Board of Governors member Ally Bolour shares his personal story of naturalization and why he feels the obligation to vote and encourage others to vote as well, including his 98-year-old father who will vote for the first time ever!
Bending the Curve – Getting Out the New Citizen Vote
AILA President Jennifer Minear shares how she is working to ensure her new citizen clients are ready to vote, writing “I'm not telling my clients how to vote, but I am making darn sure they remember the capacity they have to reshape their future, to decide who will have the power…to effect cha
Honoring Latinx Heritage and Its Champions
During National Hispanic Heritage Month, AILA Diversity & Inclusion Committee Member Magaly Rojas Cheng shares her family's story along with key data about the contributions of the Latinx community to our shared prosperity.
The Green Card Process Through the Lens of a DMV Visit
AILA member Peter Choi shares an analogy that he has found makes explaining the green card process to clients easier by comparing it to a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles with various queues and required paperwork.
Searching for Hope Among the Ruins of Our Asylum System
Dree Collopy, chair of AILA's upcoming Virtual Asylum Conference highlights some of the changes impacting asylum that have come recently and what will be covered by the conference, noting that while this is a tough fight to keep up, “We can lift each other up, help each other succeed, and save our c
Sometimes You Just Have to Take ‘Em to Court
AILA First Vice President Jeremy McKinney describes his first foray into litigation, and what tools and resources can help AILA members litigate and win cases, writing that litigation “can benefit your clients, it can benefit the immigration bar, and ultimately, it can benefit everyone.“
How To: Take Cases to Immigration Court
AILA Immigration Courts Conference Chair Michael Vastine shares insights on how AILA members can prepare themselves for immigration court, offering insights into the need to be “uniformly prepared, comprehensively trained, and conditioned to assertively and persuasively defend.“
USCIS to Congress: “Give Us $1.2 Billion,” But Does the Data Pass the Sniff Test?
In this blog post, members of AILA New England highlight the many questions about how USCIS has engendered a deficit requiring a congressional bailout and raises concerns about the need for data transparency and accountability.
The Year Ahead
AILA President Jennifer Minear looks forward to the year ahead during her installation speech and calls on all of us to “push ahead, sure in our cause, guided by the strength of our convictions, and buoyed by the support of this AILA community.“
The View from the Chair
In recognition of the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and acknowledgment that there is still much work to be done, AILA republishes, with permission, a piece from Diversity & Inclusion Committee member Caroline Ostrom on avoiding reinforcing the social perceptions around disabilities.
Reflections on a Year to Remember
This blog post is the published transcript of the year-end speech given by Immediate Past President Marketa Lindt during AILA's Virtual Annual Conference on July 20, 2020.
An Even Rougher Version of the RAISE Act?
AILA Member John Manley compares the provisions in the RAISE Act (which Congress failed to pass) and the executive actions being taken by the Trump administration during the COVID-19 pandemic and notices some similarities.
Fighting for Freedom from Detention During COVID-19
National Advocacy Counsel Katie Shepherd of the Immigration Justice Campaign shares the recent work with pro bono counsel Gibson Dunn that aims to free immigrants from the appalling conditions at Joe Corley detention facility.
The Administration is Weaponizing COVID-19 to End Immigration
AILA Past President Ira Kurzban details how the Trump Administration has weaponized the COVID-19 pandemic to implement long-sought immigration policies, banning immigrants and non-immigrants alike.
During the Pandemic, We Need H-2A Temporary Workers More Than Ever
In this blog post, AILA law student member Maria Jaramillo highlights the indispensable workers who come to the U.S. on H-2A visas and ensure the U.S. food supply continues, and how employers need to step up and protect them during the pandemic.
USCIS Hypocrisy Reaches New Levels
Asylum experts Dree Collopy and Lindsay Harris highlight the ways in which asylum adjudication inefficiencies have contributed to USCIS' $1.2 billion budget shortfall and urge that Congress hold USCIS accountable, linking to AILA's Take Action on the issue that members of the public can easily use.
Reuniting Mirna’s Family Despite the Immigration Ban
In this blog post, Michael Eatroff shares Mirna's story; she was one of the plaintiffs in the litigation filed by AILA, Justice Action Center, Innovation Law Lab, with pro bono counsel Mayer Brown to protect children from aging out under the April 22 Proclamation.
Stooping to A New Low – USCIS Statement Throws Constitution Out the Window
AILA Member Matt Maiona highlights a recent outrageous USCIS statement in response to the SCOTUS DACA ruling, which showcases the dire need for agency reform, writing, “Perhaps now more than ever, government institutions must strive to restore the faith of Americans in the integrity of government.&#
Tools of the (Immigration Law) Trade
In this blog post, AILA past president Kathleen Campbell Walker reflects on her path into immigration law, the complicated nature of the field, and some of the reasons she reads and re-reads the INA/CFR.