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
A Dozen Years of PERM – A Practitioner’s Perspective
In this blog post, AILA member and PERM expert Ceridwen Koski offers insights into how the PERM landscape has changed over the past dozen years and what AILA members can do to prepare themselves to meet their clients' needs.
Ellis Island – A Window to our Past and Future
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Doug Penn visited Ellis Island and the ruins of the country's first public health hospital there; he urges all of us, “as you live and work, try to see your life from the perspective of Ellis Island - and live up to that statue in the harbor.“
TPS Holders Impacted by Immigration Scams
AILA member Anna Gallagher highlights the importance of avoiding scams and getting qualified counsel in an uncertain immigration environment, particularly those who hold Temporary Protected Status.
Serving Those Who Serve Our Country
As we reflect on Veterans Day, this blog post offers insights into the impact of immigration law on members of the military and their families and encourages AILA members to “help a service member by bringing immigration legal expertise and a caring heart to bear on these important cases.“
Reality vs. Rhetoric – Why Are People Fleeing to the United States?
In this blog post, AILA Board of Governors member Ally Bolour describes the country conditions in Central America, and involvement therein by the United States government over decades, that have led to refugees seeking protection.
Representing the Separated
AILA member Teresa Messer shares the story of a father and son separated by the government who she was able to help and the impact taking that case had on her and her client; she also shares links to resources and opportunities to help.
On Election Day…Vote for All of Us
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson urges everyone eligible to vote and to participate in the #MyImmigrantHistory campaign, writing, “Tomorrow is a chance to exercise our rights as Americans, and to vote not just for our issue but for a future that all Americans can see themselves in.“
The #MyImmigrantHistory Campaign – We Invite You to Share Your Story!
AILA President Anastasia Tonello shares her #MyImmigrantHistory story as part of AILA's campaign to highlight why the public charge rule is shortsighted and would harm the country and encourages others to share their own #MyImmigrantHistory story on social media and with AILA.
A Second Chance at Asylum for Indonesian Families
In this blog post, AILA member and Immigration Justice Campaign volunteer Lisa Modecker shares how she was able to successfully reopen the case of Mr. and Mrs. Sombah, Indonesian Christians at risk of deportation back to danger in their home country after years of refuge in the United States.
Inclusion Requires Us to Be Proactive
In the second blog post from the AILA Diversity and Inclusion Committee, AILA member Christian Montesinos shares a discriminatory experience he had with USCIS that left him disheartened and urges AILA members and the public to be proactive about “inclusion and thrive in the lush landscape of diversi
The Detective Work of Asylum Cases: How Surgeons Can Help
In this blog post, AILA member and Immigration Justice Campaign volunteer Nikki Lyons describes how working with medical experts, particularly surgeons, can offer a way to corroborate details of an asylum seeker's case based on wounds and scars left from persecution.
Terrible and Terrifying: Marriage Interviews Become Another Cog in the Deportation Machine
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson highlights the growing number of cases where ICE seizes people during the marriage interview component of their immigration application process, an interview required to pursue the legal status which would protect them.
Proposed Public Charge Rule Spreads Panic, But Would Fail at Cutting Costs
AILA member Ruby Powers highlights the newly published proposed “public charge“ rule and its potential negative impact on clients and communities while describing how the public and AILA members can engage on this important issue by commenting on the proposed rule.
Exploring All the Options – EB-5 in this Era of Uncertainty
In this blog post, past AILA president and EB-5 expert Bernard Wolfsdorf highlights some of the important information and innovative ideas that will be shared at the upcoming AILA - IIUSA EB-5 conference and reminds readers that the Early Bird option ends Wednesday!
A Resurgence of Hope for Many TPS Holders
Jason Boyd, AILA Policy Counsel, offers insights into the preliminary injunction granted in Ramos v. Nielsen, offering TPS holders, from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan, and their families, hope in a very uncertain time.
Justice Cannot Be Carried Out on an Assembly Line
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson issues a call to action, sharing comments from NAIJ president Ashley Tabaddor and advocating for an independent immigration court system, free from political pressure by any administration.
How to Manage Your Practice in the Shifting Employment-Based Landscape
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Sandra Feist shares how she has handled the growing uncertainty in employment-based immigration law practice and offers some useful advice for other practitioners.
Together, a Firestorm of Support
In this blog post, AILA staff members Reid Trautz, Erin Lynum, and former AILA intern Jiedine I. A. Phanbuh highlight the importance of engaging community to support immigrants and work towards fair immigration policy.
Why Representation Matters Within the Immigration Bar Itself
In this blog post, AILA member Sarah Pitney shares the importance of diversity and inclusion in the immigration bar by describing how one panelist in particular at the 2017 AILA Conference in New Orleans showed how her “professional community valued the presence of its LGBT+ members.“
Little Ease: Undocumented in America 2018
AILA member Margaret O'Donnell describes changes being made to immigration policy that negatively impact American families, offering a real client example to highlight how uncertain the future has become.
Join the Fight to Restore USCIS’s Mission and Ensure Immigration Court Independence!
In this blog post, Media Advocacy Committee Member Katie Sarreshteh highlights AILA's August Campaign and urges members to help AILA's efforts “to realign USCIS with its congressional mandate and ensure judicial independence in our immigration courts.“
The Government’s Use of Coercion on Separated Parents
In this blog post, Immigration Justice Campaign National Advocacy Counsel Katie Shepherd describes the government's use of coercion on separated parents and the complaint AILA and the Council filed with DHS to draw attention to this illegal and unconstitutional practice.
Call to Arms: Don’t Let USCIS Get Away with It – Again
AILA First Vice President Jennifer Minear explains what the newly finalized unlawful presence changes will mean for students and exchange visitors and urges AILA members and the public to not allow this policy, and its inevitable consequences if implemented, to go unnoticed.
The Repercussions of How the Administration Has Handled Matter of Castro-Tum
AILA Member Matthew Archambeault who served as Friend of the Court in the Matter of Castro-Tum describes the case and its repercussions, and offers suggestions for how to advocate and urge Congress to act on the immense and obvious need for an independent immigration court.
New Partners in the Fight for Due Process
Karen Lucas, Director of the Immigration Justice Campaign in which AILA and the Council are partnered, describes new ways the campaign is meeting the needs of detained immigrants, including a recent partnership with Save the Children.