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 Fight on Behalf of Transgender Asylum Seekers Detained in Pearsall
AILA Senior Counsel of Pro Bono Program Jocelyn Dyer highlights recent wins for transgender asylum seekers detained in Pearsall as part of the Immigration Justice Campaign and urges readers to get involved to help more detained immigrants get a fair day in court.
Advocacy in Action: Congress Demands Answers from USCIS
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Fiona McEntee reflects on NDA 2019 and the successful effort to have Congress hold USCIS accountable for crisis-level processing delays.
But the Royal Baby Actually is a U.S. Citizen…
AILA member John Manley explains why the citizenship of the new British royal baby is even a question, and highlights some of the complexities of U.S. immigration law.
A Spotlight on Misinformation
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson details recent misinformation from the president about the border, immigrants, and asylum seekers, and notes, “Sadly, the Trump administration's border enforcement strategy remains largely unchanged even as the nature of the challenge has changed dramatically.R
Michelle Angela Ortiz: Illuminating Injustice Through Art
AILA Senior Legal Editor Rizwan Hassan highlights a visual artist and community educator, Michelle Angela Ortiz, who has brought attention to families detained in Berks, PA, writing “we must use whatever skills and talents we have at our disposal to battle the injustices we see.“
USCIS Acknowledges That Its Own Policies Compound Case Processing Delays
AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights data from a recent USCIS response to Congress, noting evidence that “USCIS policies are undermining the agency's statutory mandate to efficiently process applications and petitions for immigration benefits“ and calling for USCIS to be held to account.
A New Resource on Immigration Law: AILA Law Journal is Live!
In this blog post, AILA President Anastasia Tonello announces the inaugural edition of the AILA Law Journal, highlighting the articles and themes within the seven pieces and inviting articles for future editions.
“What Do You Mean I’m Not a U.S. Citizen?”
In this blog post, AILA member Tracie Klinke shares some situations and tough questions she has encountered recently in practicing family immigration law and how her experiences have fed into the development of sessions for AILA's Annual Conference Family Track.
Americans Abroad Among Those Being Left in the Lurch by the Trump Administration
AILA member Jeremy Weber shares insights into the vital role USCIS International Operations serve and highlights how closure of those offices will negatively impact all too many Americans, their families, American businesses, and refugees.
The Chess Prodigy and Asylum Policy
AILA member and Senior Legal Editor Rizwan Hassan writes about the recent New York State Scholastic Chess child champion Tanitoluwa Adewumi as an example of the asylum seekers and refugees who have made America great over generations, urging that we take action and call for good immigration policy.
Lift the H-1B Cap to Benefit U.S. Employers and U.S. Workers
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Doug Penn describes how lifting the cap on H-1B visa numbers could “help the large and small employers who need employees with these skills to meet workforce demands, build up U.S. workforce training programs, and enhance fraud detection and prevention efforts.&#
Saluting AILA’s Women Trailblazers
In this blog post for Women's History Month, the women on AILA's Executive Committee recognize some of the many women who have played a key role in the history of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Despite the #MeToo Movement, Roll-Backs in Protection Endanger Immigrant Women: It is Time for #ImmigrantWomenToo
In this blog post, Morgan Weibel shares the importance of humanitarian protections for immigrant victims of sexual assault and violence, how they are being undermined, and the need to unite behind the move to recognize and address the plight of #ImmigrantWomenToo.
14 Year Odyssey to get U.S. Citizenship Back After Forced Renunciation
In this blog post, AILA member Alice Yardum-Hunter recounts the fourteen year battle her client fought to regain his citizenship which he had not voluntarily renounced.
Read All About It: ABA Report Calls for Independent Immigration Courts
Jeremy McKinney describes what he is seeing in his practice which underscores the need for an independent immigration court, a call echoed by the American Bar Association's new report on the immigration system released March 20, 2019.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media as an Immigration Attorney
William Stock, past AILA president and active social media user, describes some techniques and tactics for engaging on social media and harnessing the power of several digital platforms to help you develop your brand and establish yourself as a thought leader.
The View from the Chair
In this blog post, part of the AILA Diversity & Inclusion series, committee member Caroline Ostrom explains how “incorporating ways to include those with disabilities into your practice as colleagues, employees, and clients, makes business sense and is the right thing to do.“
On-the-Ground Advocacy at a Women and Children’s Detention Center
Recent Dilley Pro Bono Project volunteers and AILA law student members Alex George and Carolina Solano share their experience helping mothers and children incarcerated in Texas, the impact of recent policies and decisions, and why we need to #EndFamilyDetention.
Re-imagine the H-1B to Match Our Economy’s Needs
AILA First VP Jennifer Minear explains the impact of new policies USCIS Director Cissna recently highlighted in a CNN op-ed, noting that “We don't need to reconfigure the logistical administration of the outdated and ill-equipped H-1B system that we have. We need to re-imagine that system…R
“Migrant Protection Protocols” Policy is a Death Sentence for Asylum Seekers
Katie Shepherd, National Advocacy Counsel for the Immigration Justice Campaign, writes about the immense harm and due process obstacles asylum seekers will face in light of the “Migrant Protection Protocols“ or “Remain in Mexico“ policy, and why Secretary Nielsen must immediately halt it
USCIS Processing Delays Soared While Application Rates Fell
AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights newly released USCIS data and shows how the new information “has cast an even harsher glare on the agency's well-documented failure to process its caseload in a timely fashion.“
Black Immigrant History is Part of Black History Month
In this blog post, part of the AILA Diversity & Inclusion series, AILA Second Vice President Allen Orr recognizes Black History Month, shares important research and analysis, and writes, “In the drive for immigration reform, black immigrants must not be forgotten or left out of the equation.“
Shining Some FOIA Light on the Immigration Courts
AILA Senior Policy Counsel Laura Lynch describes an EOIR memo, obtained via FOIA by AILA and the American Immigration Council, which lays out a plan, purportedly to lessen the immigration court backlog but which has done the opposite, bloating the backlog and undermining due process.
America’s Seasonal Worker Visa Program Desperately Needs an Update
In this blog post, AILA member Adam Greenberg explains the benefits of the H-2B visa program and the significant obstacles employers face trying to bring in seasonal workers, including artificially low caps on the number of visas, and technical problems like the iCERT system failing in early January
Governing with Blinders On
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson describes how the border security debate ignores how border enforcement “works in the real world“ and highlights how our “immigration system is very much out of step with economic and social reality.“