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
Finding My Balance During Ramadan
AILA member Hudaidah Bhimdi shares insights into the meaning of the month of Ramadan to her as a busy immigration attorney, and how this month of reflection and joy helps her find balance as she works to help her clients access justice.
DACA Recipients Stuck Picking Up Crumbs Left by the DREAM Act’s Failure
AILA DEI Scholarship winner Brenda Quintanilla delineates the history and impact of DACA and efforts to pass the DREAM Act, urging advocates to continue pushing Congress to pass legislation, writing “America has a gambling problem and undocumented/DACAmented people are treated like poker chips.̶
The Safe Third Country Agreement Should Be Ended, not Expanded
AILA Asylum and Protection Committee member Randall Chamberlain highlights the harm the recent renewal of the U.S - Canada “Safe Third Country Agreement“ will cause, writing “the expanded treaty will force thousands of refugees underground and…lead to many more deaths of people fleeing f
Protective Standards Aren’t Enough, Congress Needs to Cut Detention Funding
AILA's Jen Whitlock recently visited an immigration detention facility and left knowing that the harm caused, despite protective standards, is unacceptable. She urges everyone to tell Congress to significantly reduce detention funding for ICE and explicitly prohibit funding for family detention.
Legal Representation for Immigrants Protects Their Rights
AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Melissa McElroy describes how “immigrants with or without status are at an enormous disadvantage when they face immigration proceedings without an attorney“ and how state and federal legislation aims to expand legal representation programs.
Why Finding Your Pro Bono Opportunity Can Help YOU
AILA's Practice and Professionalism Center highlights a few recent “Pro Bono High Fives,“ featuring AILA members, to inspire and encourage others to use their legal expertise to change lives, and maybe have some fun too!
We Need Humane Solutions, Not Harmful Legislation
AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Woorod Atiyat urges Congress to turn away from harmful legislation and instead “rise to its responsibility and serve as protectors of the immigrant community and our country's values of fairness and justice.“
Free and Freeing: AILA’s Law Student Membership
AILA member Marisabel Alonso encourages all current law students interested in immigration law to take advantage of the many benefits of AILA's free law student membership and how those benefits can help them during law school and beyond as they become practitioners.
A Call to Action on International Women’s Day 2023
Karen Hill, co-leader of AILA's Women in Immigration Law Interest Group (WMIG) shares information about International Women's Day and urges everyone to find ways to #EmbraceEquity today; AILA members can join the WMIG and other listservs through myAILA.
USCIS’ Updated CSPA Guidance and Transferring Underlying Basis
AILA member Peter Choi urges USCIS to expand on its recent CSPA guidance and similarly update its guidance on transfer-of-underlying-basis requests, which would help many families and serve the goals stated in USCIS' FYs 2023-2026 Strategic Plan.
An Under-Resourced Obama-Era Refugee and Parole Program Could Be A Safe and Legal Pathway Too
Linda Evarts and Jen Whitlock urge the Biden Administration to review the Obama-era Central American Minors (CAM) parole program as it expands the use of parole to other populations, noting the lack of resources and attention to the implementation of the program has kept families separated.
Facing Challenges: DACAmented and Undocumented Attorneys Practice Immigration Law in Liminality
AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship recipient Gerardo Villegas Juarez knows firsthand the liminality experienced by DACA recipients, writing “DACA remains a temporary solution…DACA opens the door but also tethers you to the prospect of removal.“
America’s Industrial Cities Can Benefit from the Start-Up Visa
AILA member Aaron Kochenderfer highlights the way that a start-up visa might help improve the American economy, particularly in Rust Belt cities and nearby communities, harnessing the power of innovation to increase shared prosperity.
Immigrants Can Get the Job Done, If America Lets Them
AILA members Roujin Mozaffarimehr and Ally Bolour urge the Biden administration and Congress to recognize the cumbersome, arbitrary, and uncertain context in which employers try to access H-2B visas and some clear ways the process could be improved to address workforce needs.
Federal Litigation as a Tool to Fight Unjust L-1 Denials
AILA member Dominique Pando Bucci describes unreasonable denials of L-1s and why one denial of an L-1 intracompany transferee petition filed on behalf of a small business led her to file and win her first federal litigation case. I recently took on, and won, a federal court case challenging an unjus
Resiliency in the Face of Hostile Immigration Policies
AILA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Law Student Scholarship recipient Anthony Wong urges fellow AILA members to develop resiliency in order to face future challenges to the immigration law community.
The Importance of Filing Proper Tax Returns for Immigration Purposes
AILA member Kara Hart shares why she advises people seeking immigration benefits to seek qualified help to ensure they file taxes correctly, noting that when immigration officials review tax returns, they may be asking several key questions.
Some Basics of Business Immigration to the U.S. in 2023
AILA member Stanislav Shamayev walks through some of the basics of business immigration to the U.S., writing that “American immigration law is complex, to put it mildly, but a good immigration attorney can talk through your options and set you up for success.“
New Policy Aims to Expand Noncitizen Worker Protections After Historical Discrimination
In this blog post, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Law Student Scholarship recipient Taylor Flores describes the historical discrimination faced by immigrant workers and the new policy from the Biden administration which aims to expand noncitizen worker protections.
The Maggio Law Student Fellowship Can Open Up a New World for You
AILA President Jeremy McKinney urges law students interested in immigration law practice to apply for the Michael Maggio Immigrants' Rights Summer Fellowship Program and highlights six examples of recent fellows as a way to inspire the next generation of law students. Deadline is Feb 10, 2023.
The Toll of Delays – USCIS Allows Nearly 600% Increase in I-601A Waiver Processing Times
Using data from AILA member case examples, AILA Liaison Coordinator Jonathan Valdez describes the ripple effect of USCIS' excessive delay in I-601A processing, noting that the impact “is as profound as it is immeasurable,“ and urging the implementation of reforms that improve processing times
T Nonimmigrant Visas: An Opportunity to Provide a Path Forward
AILA members Helen Tarokic and Jesse Bless describe the current status of the T nonimmigrant visa, created by Congress to protect trafficking victims, noting that given recent updates to the USCIS Policy Manual more asylum and U-visa applicants may be eligible for this often-overlooked visa.
The “Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability” Explained
In a video blog post, AILA Law Journal authors Sabrina Damast and Eric Lee explain what the “Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability“ is, why it is important to immigration lawyers, and the current state of the doctrine in federal court litigation.
U.S. Government Detention of Asylum Seekers Flouts International Human Rights Law
AILA Law Journal authors Curtis F.J. Doebbler and Elisa Fornalé shared some insights from their recent article, “International Human Rights Law and the Detention of Asylum Seekers“ which focused on the U.S. practice of detaining asylum seekers and relevant international human rights obligation
With More Funding Must Come More Accountability
AILA Policy Associate Paul Stern writes why Congress must provide greater funding and accountability for USCIS to continue addressing its backlogs and processing delays.