Immigration News
Check out daily roundups of immigration-related news stories, read articles that quote and cite AILA and AILA leadership, and check out analysis from AILA members and leadership on the AILA blog.
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AILA in the News
Browse the Immigration News collection
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to the Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
AILA President Allen Orr responded to the current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, noting that the “lives of countless Afghans depend on the U.S. government acting promptly to exercise humanitarian parole, resume and rapidly scale up special immigrant visa (SIV) and immigrant visa processing.”
AILA President Allen Orr Responds to Federal Judge Decision to Reinstate “Remain in Mexico” Asylum Policy
AILA President Allen Orr shared a statement in response to the nationwide injunction issued on August 13, 2021, directing the Biden administration to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, commonly known as “Remain in Mexico.”
AILA Welcomes Immigration Reform Opportunity
AILA welcomed the Senate’s passage of a budget resolution measure which would allow the Judiciary Committee to start the process of drafting legislative text to create a path to permanent status for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and essential workers.
Beyond Borders: Protecting and Preserving Indigenous Rights
In this blog post, AILA member Danielle Molliver shares her insights as both a Lumbee tribe member and a practicing immigration attorney as we recognize the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
Trusted Traveler Program Fumbles
In this blog post, AILA member John Manley describes the benefits of Trusted Traveler programs but also the distress when such status is revoked and the lack of transparency as to how those revocations can be redressed, offering a few ideas of changes CBP could make to improve the programs.
AILA Welcomes New USCIS Director Confirmed by the Senate
AILA welcomed the confirmation of Ur Jaddou, the first Senate-confirmed woman and the first person of Arab and Mexican descent, to lead USCIS; AILA looks forward to working with Ms. Jaddou as she and USCIS staff rebuild and restore trust in our immigration system.
Biden Administration’s Latest Move Does Real Harm to Asylum-Seeking Families
AILA denounced the Biden administration for plans announced to apply expedited removal to families apprehended in the southern border region; AILA is adamantly opposed and urges the administration to rethink this decision.
Congress Must Work Together to Pass the New Startup Visa
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Chair and business immigration expert Fiona McEntee shares information about the recently introduced LIKE Act and how a startup visa would make a tremendous difference to our economy and the entrepreneurs offered a path to America
What Does an Immigration Lawyer Do?
In this blog post, AILA member Vaman Kidambi shares some insights into answering the question “What Does an Immigration Lawyer Do“ and how to describe your work as an immigration attorney to those not in the field.
Biden Must Quickly Protect Those Who Risked Their Lives for Our Soldiers in Afghanistan
In this blog post, AILA Board of Governors member Ally Bolour highlights the urgent need for the Biden administration to recognize that those who helped our troops in Afghanistan need to be protected and evacuated to safety immediately.
AILA: No Surprise that Texas Judge Puts Politics Ahead of Sound Legal Precedent
AILA President Allen Orr and Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responded to the ruling by Texas federal judge Andrew Hanen against the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in this statement, urging the administration and Congress to protect Dreamers.
AG Garland Gives Immigration Judges Back Authority to Administratively Close Cases
Attorney General Merrick Garland vacated the precedent decision in Matter of Castro-Tum, restoring “administrative closure,” a key tool used by immigration judges for decades to manage dockets and increase efficiency.
How the State Department Can Help Businesses Bounce Back from COVID-19
AILA member Brent Renison shares the example of a business client negatively impacted by State Department policies and regional travel bans and highlights the straightforward solutions recommended by AILA to help businesses bounce back from the pandemic.
Takeaways from Johnson v. Guzman Chavez
In this blog post, AILA President-elect Jeremy McKinney highlights the recent Supreme Court decision in Johnson v. Guzman Chavez, which he writes offers a takeaway “for practitioners is to push back when an agency employs Auer or Chevron deference as a shield protecting its faulty administrative dec
Trapped in the U.S. or Trapped Abroad – Havoc Caused by Regional Bans Continues
Matt Maiona highlights the impact of the existing regional travel bans, using one of his clients' situation and urges people take action and tell the Biden administration to end the bans, as well as making additional changes to allow the Department of State to address the backlog and delays in proce
Litigation and Liaison Work Hand in Hand to Good Effect
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson highlights how litigation with the American Immigration Council combined with liaison efforts led to USCIS accepting FY2021 H-1B cap-subject petitions rejected or closed solely because the petitioner requested a start date after October 1, 2021.
Immigration Law, Family, and Pride Month
In this blog post, AILA President Allen Orr posed some questions to Jennifer Yeaw, a member of the Diversity & Inclusion committee about Pride month and how immigration law and policies have gradually grown more inclusive to LGBTQIA+ families, but there's still a long way to go.
Welcoming Juneteenth
In this blog post, AILA member Yasmin Blackburn welcomes the federal recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday and urges us to use the day to reflect, research, and learn about America's history and to take action to ensure a more just future.
Recognizing the Impact of Fathers and Father Figures
In recognition of Father's Day, we asked AILA members to share how something their dad did or said helped them choose immigration law as a profession; read these five inspiring and heartfelt examples.
Reflections on the Life and Impact of the Late Judge Robert Katzmann
In this video blog post, Cyrus Mehta reflects on the life and impact of the late Judge Robert Katzmann, explaining how he was the impetus for projects to help immigrants receive legal representation that affected so many families and individuals.
AG Garland Vacates Asylum Precedents That Harmed Victims of Violence
AG Garland vacated decisions in Matter of A-B- and Matter of L-E-A-, both of which had arbitrarily overturned years of established case law. By vacating these two decisions, the AG has restored access to asylum for many people fleeing persecution abroad.
Nine Years Since DACA Was Announced – the Senate Needs to Act
AILA celebrated the ninth anniversary of the creation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, but AILA President Allen Orr, Jr. called on Congress to enact permanent protection for Dreamers, saying it “would be a moral and economic victory for the entire country.”
Nine Years Later…DACA is Not Enough
Mo Goldman shares the example of his client to explain that DACA isn't enough and Congress needs to act because “A year from now, we should not be celebrating the ten-year anniversary of DACA“ but instead “the first months of a path to citizenship for these deserving individuals.“
A Transformative Year Ahead
Allen Orr, newly installed AILA President for the 2021-22 term, shares his story and his vision for a transformative year ahead in this transcript of the installation speech he gave on June 10, 2021 during AILA's Annual Conference.
AILA Elects New Officers for 2021-2022
AILA selected officers for the 2021-2022 term. Allen Orr, Jr. was installed as President and the following officers were elected: Jeremy McKinney as President-Elect, Farshad Owji as First Vice President, Kelli Stump as Second Vice President, Jeff Joseph as Treasurer, and Alexis Axelrad as Secretary.