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
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.
The Death to Asylum Regulations Continue to Harm Asylum Seekers Even Though They Are Enjoined
AILA member Victoria Neilson writes about the “Death to Asylum“ regulations and their continued impact on practitioners and asylum seekers ahead of the two-year anniversary of these Trump-era regulations being published on 12/11/20.
We Must Protect Children in Immigration Proceedings
AILA Law Journal authors Lory D. Rosenberg, Susan G. Roy, Paul Schmidt, and Rekha Sharma-Crawford share some insights about their article, “Time for a Child Welfare Approach to Cancellation of Removal“ in which they focused on how the best interests of the child are routinely ignored.
RFE – The Acronym that Continues to Confound and Bewilder Practitioners
AILA member Vaman Kidambi shares insights into the confusion surrounding “Requests for Evidence“ (RFEs) and how seemingly extremely similar, if not identical, cases result in different outcomes, urging USCIS to reengage with stakeholders on this issue.
What’s the Deal with the Unlawful Presence Bars?
AILA Law Journal author Martin Robles-Avila shared some insights from his recent article, “At Long Last, USCIS Meets the Moment: A Brief History of the Unlawful Presence Bars“ in which he dives into where things stand on these bars which impact so many individuals.
Why Everyone Should Care About the “Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability”
AILA Law Journal authors Sabrina Damast and Eric Lee shared some insights from their recent article on “Consular Nonreviewability: Fifty Years Since Kleindienst v. Mandel“ in which they focused on this important concept and its implications for many families trying to reunite.
I Ran the NYC Marathon and This is What I Learned
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Chair Evangeline Chan shares her recent experience running the NYC marathon and how it brought hope, that “we can all lean in to that human connection and learn that no matter where you are from, you can find common ground with the person next to you.“
Why the AILA Law Journal is Important
AILA Law Journal Editor-in-Chief Cyrus Mehta shares insights into the new edition of the AILA Law Journal and why he feels it is so important for AILA members to write, share their expertise, and educate the immigration bar and wider audiences.
The Clearly Uneven Vetting of U.S. Visa Applicants from Iran
AILA members Roujin Mozaffarimehr and Ally Bolour urge the Biden administration to address the clearly uneven vetting of Iranian nationals seeking to immigrate to the U.S. as worldwide attention focuses on the continued protests and upheaval in Iran.
The Fundamentals Matter
AILA Fundamentals Conference co-chair Anthony Drago shares his immigration law journey and why making sure you have the fundamentals down is so important; he highlights the upcoming conference as a great opportunity to learn.
Our “Candidate” is Immigration: 2022 Election Results Recap
In this blog post, AILA's Greg Chen and Sofia Rosales-Zeledon walk us through a recap of the 2022 midterm election results as they stand on November 9, 2022 with a focus on immigration as a campaign issue, and what opportunities there may be for immigration reform.
IRS Commissioner: Please Grant a Filing Extension for Immigrant Families
In this blog post, AILA member Angela Divaris explains why many immigrant-led households haven't been able to file to receive the expanded Child Tax Credit and why she and other advocates are requesting the IRS Commissioner extend the deadline.
Ninth Circuit Decision Expands Due Process for Visa Applicants and Families
AILA member Eric Lee describes the recent win in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in which the court found the “State Department violated due process and the fundamental right to marriage by denying a visa without providing any reason for the denial for three years.“
Anti-Immigrant Sentiment is Threatening to Drown an Initiative in Massachusetts
AILA member Anthony Pawelski describes the ways in which a change to Massachusetts law will benefit public safety, create efficiency, and increase state revenue, and why he is supporting the effort to take immigration status out of the driver's license application process.
The New Venezuelan Parole Process
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Gina Polo describes the new Venezuelan parole process and its potential impact, also highlighting AILA resources for practitioners, including the free AILA Roundtable on the topic, to be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
What Happened When I Actually Helped a Military Service Member
AILA Pro Bono Committee member Samantha Jiménez shares two inspiring examples of cases she was able to resolve for Military Service members through AILA's Military Assistance Program, using her immigration law expertise to give families much needed safety and security as their loved ones deploy.
What Happens When the Agency Mistakenly Denies An Application for Naturalization?
AILA member and CA Chapters Conference chair Sabrina Damast discusses some recent denials of naturalization cases she has dealt with and gives a taste of what the next step would be for clients in that situation as well as how the topic and many others, will be covered at the conference.
The Mosh Pit of Asylum Law, Explained
AILA Asylum Online Course leader Tammy Lin highlights the community of asylum practitioners and encourages those who might be hesitant to jump in to take a look at AILA's new online course and get familiar with asylum law, get in the mosh pit, and potentially save a life.
Obtaining a Stay of Removal Through Litigation
AILA author Robert Pauw explains how he determines whether a potential client might be well-served by pursuing federal litigation, including a situation where a removal order is final and unappealable but the person is eligible for some type of collateral relief.