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
Scapegoating Refugees is Not the Solution
Somewhere in the deepest recesses of my mind, I live in constant fear. Many of us do. It's a natural reaction. Every day we step outside we are exposing ourselves to those things we fear. I fear a texting driver may hit my car. I fear a person with a gun could shoot up a […]
Building Bridges Rather than Walls
Congratulations to the people and elected representatives of San Diego. As many of us know in the immigration field, it is so easy for politicians, press and the public to demonize and scapegoat immigrants of all colors, creeds, and convictions. For years we have heard the loud cries to “build a bi
Warning: Content Not Safe for Your Peace of Mind
Ana was all of 11 days old when we met at the Berks Detention Center. She was not always the most cooperative client. I don't believe she even bothered to look at me in the two weeks she resided at the detention center. In fact her eyes didn't open at all. She had extremely poor […]
Babies in Jail
“What are they being detained for, spilling milk?“ Those are the words of my friend Dawn when I told her I was volunteering at “baby jail“ for the week. Something about her response struck a nerve with me. To every sane, reasonable person in the U.S., the thought of putting a baby in ja
The Un-American Nature of Prison Bed Quotas
It has never been easy to be an immigration attorney. Faced with combatting injustice without sufficient resources, those of us who represent detained immigrants have seen these challenges increase with the recent hyper-growth of the private prison industry (PPI): 1600% increase in the number of be
An Unforgivable Waste
It was not until I sat on the plane, notebook open, pen in hand, when it hit me. The emotion came; I felt the tightening in my throat and tears forming in the corners of my eyes. It was only now that I could allow myself to fully process what I had just finally witnessed […]
Protecting the Survivors
Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to take this opportunity to draw attention to the need for AILA member expertise to help survivors, the challenges involved, and also highlight some ways that immigration attorneys can make a huge difference by getting involved and offeri
I-140 Employment Card Rule Could Be a Winner for Both American and Immigrant Workers
It's no secret that the U.S. has shortages of workers in a variety of fields. Our immigration system seemingly provides a solution to the problem. If an employer is willing to undertake a complicated recruiting process where the position is advertised in a variety of places and the employer is willi
Dilley and Baseball
My recent trip to Dilley, Texas, was a joy, a pleasure, a treat. Not exactly what you would expect me to say in this piece, but in comparison to the hellhole that was Artesia, Dilley was refreshing. Maybe because of the great staff, the routine, the fact that there was not a major crisis the [R
Dilley as I Saw It, Part 2
Stefan Babich recently traveled to Dilley, Texas, to volunteer with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. In this two-part blog post, he walks readers through his first day of volunteering and the mothers whose stories he heard. Click here to read Part 1. What is it like hearing the life stori
Dilley as I Saw It, Part 1
Stefan Babich recently traveled to Dilley, Texas, to volunteer with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. In this two-part blog post, he walks readers through his first day of volunteering and the mothers whose stories he heard. To read Part 2, click here. What was it like, walking into Dilley
Only 5 Workdays Left for a Proposed STEM OPT Rule, but Don’t Panic
Ever since an August 12 court decision, technology companies, universities and foreign students have been eagerly waiting for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to republish a rule creating the “STEM OPT Extension,“ part of the Optional Practical Training program that provides foreign s
Can the Innocence of a Child Soften the Hearts of Anti-Immigrants?
Sophie Cruz became an instant celebrity when she approached Pope Francis's motorcade to hand him a letter begging him to help her keep her parents in the United States. Her message was simple, coming from a five-year-old, yet it carried more power and conviction than any of the hateful rhetoric tha
What I Learned in Dilley
I spent a week volunteering as an immigration lawyer at the ICE family detention center in Dilley, Texas. It was a singular experience and I wanted to share some of what I learned. The detention center in Dilley opened after the 2014 “surge“ in immigrants from Central America crossing the U.S.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees in the Immigration Debate
U.S. immigration law is a myriad of statutes, regulations, policies, memos, practices and procedures which span a wide variety of practice areas. The immigration debate playing out in the media is largely focused on the refugee, humanitarian, and family-based areas of immigration law. But this is on
Another Tool in the Fight to End Family Detention
This wasn't the blog post that I planned on writing. I had intended to simply share some information about the release of the ABA Commission on Immigration's report on family detention, and will. But I was interrupted in my writing by the immediacy of what's happening on the ground (OTG) at the fami
One of Millions
As an immigration attorney, I hear the life stories of immigrants from all over the world. I hear about the mothers, fathers, siblings, and children left behind; I hear about the choices people have made and the relationships that have flourished and failed. It's a never-ending stream of sadness, ho
When Our Government Operates in Its Own Flawed Reality, the Most Vulnerable Suffer
On July 24, a federal court in California ruled that the Obama Administration's policy of detaining mothers and children violated the 1997 Flores Agreement. In a 25-page ruling, Judge Dolly Gee noted she found it “astonishing“ that immigration authorities had adopted a policy requiring such an
More Than a Label
This blog post was written in response to the questions raised by the SocialWork@Simmons #MoreThanALabel campaign, an effort to highlight how immigrants are currently combating labels and stigmas and what can be done to promote immigrant pride. My name is Victor Nieblas Pradis, and in June I became
The Time to Permanently Authorize the Religious Worker Program is Now
Once again, September 30 is quickly approaching, and the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker (Religious Worker) program originally created in 1990 is set to expire unless reauthorized by that date. The program has been reauthorized numerous times, most recently 3 years ago. The Religious
The Alternate World of Family Detention
I returned to the alternate world of family detention at the end of June. It was both the most heartbreaking and most empowering thing I have ever done during my career as an immigration attorney. Trying my best to help these mothers and their children is wrenching. The family detention facility is
A Special Place in Hell
“Don't mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself.“ Leviticus 19.33-34 “There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.“ Madeleine Albright I met Carmen, a 36-year-old i
GOP Candidates are Wrong When Talking About Immigration
Brazen incendiary rhetoric, ignorance of the facts, and bias fueled anti-immigrant sentiment are polluting the immigration conversation. There is no question Donald Trump is out to make a name for himself in the political arena. Having declared his candidacy for the presidency, Trump has embarked on
Mistreatment of LGBT Detainees Continues with Planned Mass Transfer to Remote California Facility
On June 19, 2015, ICE/ERO announced a new policy that could significantly change the way transgender women are treated in immigration custody. On the positive side, the policy acknowledges the possibility that transgender women can be housed in women's facilities, and it promises to provide training
Witness to Inhumanity
Paralegal Laura Tovar recently volunteered in Dilley and Karnes with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. The experience changed her life and she wanted to share what she learned: What did you see and how did it make you feel? They all had the same look, eyes sunken with dark rings, hungry, a