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.
Are you a member who was quoted in a news story? Contact newsroom@aila.org to let us know.
Are you a member of the press? Visit the Press Room.
AILA in the News
Browse the Immigration News collection
AILA Presents Rekha Sharma-Crawford with the 2021 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award
AILA recognizes Rekha Sharma-Crawford of Kansas City, MO, with the 2021 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.
AILA Presents Dahlia Walker-Huntington with the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award
AILA recognizes Dahlia Walker-Huntington of Hollywood, FL, with the 2021 Diversity and Inclusion Award for outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion excellence in the immigration legal profession.
America Closed for Immigration: The COVID-19 Visa Backlog
AILA member Dominique Pando Bucci digs into the data, showing the massive increases in backlogged visa issuances and highlights six ways attorneys can help their clients, as well as how and why the Biden administration needs to take action.
AILA Presents Elizabeth Jordan with the 2021 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA recognizes Elizabeth Jordan of Denver, CO, with the 2021 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
AILA Presents Luis Cortes Romero with the 2021 Advocacy Award
AILA recognizes Luis Cortes Romero of Kent, WA, with the 2021 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s advocacy agenda.
AILA Urges Further Shift Away from Detention as DHS Announces End to Contracts with Two Facilities
AILA welcomes news that ICE will end contracts with two detention facilities in Irwin County and Bristol County, but urges the Biden administration to take further action by conducting a full review of all people currently held in ICE custody and expanding community-based case management programs.
AILA Welcomes Biden Administration Expansion of Access to Justice and Legal Representation
AILA welcomed news that President Biden will renew DOJ's efforts to expand access to justice and legal representation, noting that, “Having legal representation is the most important factor in ensuring fair and just proceedings.”
Lingering Trump Policy Changes Continue Harming Trafficking Survivors
Corie O'Rourke, Cory Sagduyu, and Katherine Soltis reflect on their article in the Spring 2021 edition of the AILA Law Journal focused on USCIS's misinterpretation of the T visa's physical presence requirement and why the policy changes must be reversed so trafficking survivors can be protected.
AILA and Members of AILA’s Board of Governors File Complaint to Block H-1B Lottery Rule
Today, five nonprofit organizations and businesses, represented by AILA, Jeff Joseph, Charles Kuck, and Greg Siskind, sued to enjoin the H-1B lottery rule.
Civil Rights Coalition Welcomes Rescission of Trump’s Illegal Healthcare Ban
Today, litigators from the Justice Action Center, AILA, and the Innovation Law Lab, with Sidley Austin LLP, welcomed the rescission of President Trump’s long-enjoined healthcare insurance ban.
Climate Refugees Are Here
AILA member Christine Popp shares more about her recent article in the AILA Law Journal on climate refugees, explaining how she became interested in the intersection of immigration/ asylum law and climate change realities and what she hopes her article offers for practitioners.
Immigration Groups Push Back Against Arizona and Montana’s Efforts to Invoke Unlawful Trump-Era Agreement Restricting DHS Policymaking
AILA joined in an amicus brief opposing Arizona and Montana’s challenge to the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities guidance.
Adjectives Matter: What Does “Exceptional and Extremely Unusual Hardship” Mean?
AILA Member Eva Loney writes about the importance of adjectives in immigration law, specifically what “exceptional“ and “extremely unusual“ mean when considered in a removal case, highlighting why her article on the topic in the Spring AILA Law Journal was important to share.
Iranians Forced Into Military Service Face Immigration Blockade
AILA member Scott Emerick details litigation recently filed to ensure Iranian nationals forced to serve in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aren't harmed by the U.S. government's decision to retroactively name it a terrorist organization.
Stand with Asians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) Against this Rising Tide of Hate
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Vice Chair Evangeline Chan shares her personal experience and provides insights into ways we can stand together against anti-AANHPI hate, writing “By standing together, we can root out racial injustice and create a truly inclusive society.“
Much Accomplished in First 100 Days, But Biden Administration Has Much Still to Do on Immigration
AILA unveils a new resource tracking actions and decisions by the Biden administration over its first 100 days in office. The resource charts what has been accomplished and highlights what remains to be done based on AILA’s recommendations to the president released in November 2020.
Wanted: A Fierce Advocate for Immigrant Rights!
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Chair Fiona McEntee shares what a “want ad“ for a fierce immigration law advocate in the Biden administration might look like, modeled after the song in Mary Poppins listing the specific qualities being sought for an extremely important position.
Helping Asylees Find Welcome
In this blog post, AILA Law Journal authors Ben Levey and Rachel Zoghlin of HIAS share how they came to write about the reasons why asylees aren't accessing benefits they are eligible for, and policy recommendations to effect change and help clients.
Coercive Population Control and Immigration Law
AILA member Sylvia Miller shares insights into why she wrote for the Spring 2021 edition of the AILA Law Journal, “Ultimately my hope is that this article helps continue and broaden conversations, both within the legal community and between attorneys and our clients“ about coercive population
The Arab American Struggle for an Inclusive Immigration System
AILA member and Executive Director of NIPNLG Sirine Shebaya writes for Think Immigration about how we must ensure administrations “understand the complexity and diversity of our Arab American community and uphold our values of compassion and respect for everyone's rights in both word and policy.R
Why Are AILA Members “Coming” to Virtual National Day of Action?
As AILA members prep for a busy day of online meetings with congressional offices, some of the more than 700 AILA members joining us for NDA virtually shared their perspective about what Congress needs to do.
1-2% of People are Autistic – How That Affects Your Practice
In this piece, part of the Diversity & Inclusion blog post series, AILA member Beckie Moriello shares their insights from personal and professional experience about why autism acceptance matters, writing, “We're used to keeping an open mind. Let's keep opening it more and more.“
Domestic Terrorism: Revisiting the War on Terror and its Impact on BIPOC Communities
In this piece, part of the Diversity & Inclusion blog post series, AILA member Leila Sayed-Taha shares insights about why “one must take a nuanced position when understanding the relationship between the term ‘domestic terrorism' and the enactment of oppressive policies against communities of color&
Litigation Team Sues Biden Administration’s State Department as Agency Unlawfully Refuses to Issue Visas
AILA joined Jeff Joseph, Charles Kuck, and Greg Siskind in filing litigation on behalf of scores of plaintiffs against Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, alleging that he and the Department of State have unlawfully refused to issue visas because of temporary regional bans.
Rejected Applications and Petitions Leave Lives in Limbo
Jonathan Valdez, a member of AILA's Government Relations team, highlights the recent rejections and delays at USCIS that leave applicants in limbo and cause real hardship in what should be a seamless process., urging USCIS take action to get things right.