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.
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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
Indian Independence Day
“Progress is implied in independence. Without self-government neither industrial progress is possible, nor the educational scheme will be useful to the nation…“ - Bal Gangadhar Tilak. When you think of the phrase “Independence Day,“ naturally you think of July 4th and wonderful ima
Conrad 30 – A “Win-Win” Response to the US Healthcare Crisis
Affordable and accessible healthcare has long been a national priority. However, for decades the United States has experienced a critical shortage of physicians. The addition of millions more insured Americans to the healthcare rolls under the Affordable Care Act has heightened the problem. In fa
EB-5 Up for Reauthorization: Part 2
…Continued (Read Part 1 of this blog post) In general, AILA and other industry stakeholders are finding strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate for the EB-5 program. And yes, Congress has extended the Regional Center (RC) program numerous times since 1992. But, and this is
EB-5 Up for Reauthorization: Part 1
The EB-5 “Regional Center“ visa program again finds itself in an all too familiar place - unless Congress reauthorizes by September 30, the program will sunset. For better or worse, the EB-5 program remains connected with three other sun-setting immigration programs (E-Verify, Conrad and Relig
Recognition of Some Amazing Volunteer Work
There are hundreds of individuals who have come together on the ground to work on family detention - in Artesia, in Karnes, in Dilley, and in Berks. There are people from every far-flung corner of our nation who have worked remotely on case after case, brought attention to this tragic and inhumane i
The Pro Bono Clinic: Nuts and Bolts
You may know that there's a lot that goes into a pro bono clinic. But planning the AILA Annual Conference Pro Bono Clinic takes it to another level. Here are some insights on the planning and logistics of this year's event, sharing what we learned at the AC for anyone looking to run a pro
Acting in Haste
National tragedies have long propelled political change. Often a terrible event will ignite a fervent desire in political leaders to take action on an issue that has been neglected or overlooked. However, it is in these times of passion and emotion that some of the worst mistakes are made. Following
From Systems to Substance, Digital Innovation is Welcome News for Immigration
Last week, the Office of Management and Budget released a plan for modernizing and streamlining the legal immigration system. Much of the focus was on the potential positive impact of digital innovation. Recommendations included the creation of a cross-agency digital services team to support the
Preconceived Notions Shattered by Dilley
Recently, Rochelle G. volunteered at the Dilley facility where nearly 2,000 mothers and children are incarcerated despite their status as asylum-seekers. Brian Hoffman, lead attorney for the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project which brings volunteers from all over the nation to help in this remot
The Global Team Effort that Freed a Mother and Child
Last Wednesday, July 3rd, a client from El Salvador won her merits hearing! I appeared with attorney Melisa Peña from Miami over video conference, while Elora Mukherjee appeared by telephone from Tokyo, Japan and John Bradley appeared, sitting next to the client, from Dilley, TX. Thank you to everyo
A Lot of Glass in Those Towers, Any Mirrors?
Antonio Olivio of the Washington Post hit the nail on the head in his July 6th column (At Trump hotel site, immigrant workers wary) regarding the building of the new Trump luxury hotel in Washington DC. Ever since Donald Trump made his ill-informed and untrue statements about Mexican and Latino imm
LGBT Detention Must End
On June 23, 2015, 35 members of the House of Representatives wrote to Secretary Johnson, calling on the Obama Administration to end the detention of LGBT immigrants in ICE custody, especially transgender women.[1] The letter requested the administration seek parole and alternatives to detention for
A Long Journey for Justice: the Continuing Fight for LGBT Immigrants
As the nation rejoiced after the Supreme Court ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges, I recalled the celebrations at AILA's 2013 annual conference in San Francisco on the day that the Supreme Court decided Windsor v. Connecticut. Windsor and subsequent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) directives mad
A Call to Arms
(With thanks to Sir Winston Churchill) Last week, I spoke with some of our government contacts about the changes that are on the very near horizon here in Dilley. Due, I imagine, to the Congressional visit, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson's announcement, and the Flores litigation, the asylum office will r
Little By Little, We Tear Down the Walls of Family Detention
In June of 2014, the first and most remote Family Detention Center opened in Artesia. The move was a concerted effort by the Administration to deter the influx of mothers and children and unaccompanied minors from Central America fleeing violence, persecution and despair. The Administration's prem