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 Presents the LGBT Asylum Project with the 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Award
AILA recognizes the LGBT Asylum Project of San Francisco, CA, with the 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Award for outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion excellence in the immigration legal profession.
AILA Presents Taylor Levy with the 2020 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA recognizes Taylor Levy of El Paso, TX, with the 2020 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 in the International Tax Sphere
AILA member Patrick McCormick reviews some of the alterations to Internal Revenue Service policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they could impact multinationals in particular, noting however “we all realize that guidance related to COVD-19 is evolving,“
AILA: EOIR Director Attempts to Buy Out Remaining Board Members to Solidify Control of Immigration Courts
AILA responded to the recent effort by EOIR Director McHenry to buy out the remaining pre-Trump administration BIA members and highlighted the continuing push by this administration to manipulate the functions of the BIA, underscoring the urgent need for an independent immigration court system.
Civil Rights Coalition Files Lawsuit to Protect Families from Decades of Separation
AILA, Justice Action Center, and Innovation Law Lab, with pro bono support from Mayer Brown LLP, have filed a lawsuit on behalf of U.S. citizens and LPRs petitioning for their children and derivative relatives to join them in the U.S. who would “age-out” while the administration’s ban is in place.
Practicing Immigration Law in the COVID-19 Era – Post 13
AILA Member Kevin Gregg shares his experience during COVID-19 thus far, including the fact that with the time freed up from less travel and commuting, he has started a podcast on precedential immigration decisions.
AILA Urges Strict Congressional Oversight Over Any Emergency Appropriations for USCIS
AILA urges congressional appropriators to demand accountability, conduct strict oversight, and ensure conditions are met before agreeing to an emergency funding request by USCIS.
AILA: Trump Administration’s Indefinite Border Closure Is a Campaign Tool, Not a Public Safety Measure
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responds to the announcement by DHS and the CDC extending indefinitely their order blocking entry to asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Who Creates American Jobs?
In response to rumored plans by the administration to tighten nonimmigrant visas, AILA member Doug Penn shares the impact one of his clients has had creating American jobs while in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa and why the administration should not block these job creators from the U.S.
AILA Urges Support for the HEROES Act
AILA urges support for the HEROES Act which would help protect the health and safety of all communities and provide a plan for this nation to rebuild, ensuring our shared prosperity.
US: Lawsuit Over ‘Remain in Mexico’ Program Secrecy
AILA joined the American Immigration Council, Human Rights Watch, and the law firm Winston & Strawn LLP in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. Northern District of California to compel the release of records about the U.S. Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” program.
Litigation Works for Clients
AILA Past President Chuck Kuck highlights the H-1B class action litigation and renews the call for plaintiffs, noting “The only way to stop USCIS from continuing to rewrite immigration law through RFE and denial is to challenge them boldly, fiercely, and publicly in the federal courts.“
Practicing Immigration Law in the COVID19 Era – Post 11
AILA Member Jennifer Schear offers a glimpse into her work and office situation in Tel Aviv, Israel, and shares how during this time she has gleaned some “valuable insights into law firm management, productivity, efficiency, what and who is truly essential.“
Trump Administration’s Continued Disdain for U.S. Asylum Law and Lack of Concern for Vulnerable Asylum Seekers on Display at Border
AILA opposes MPP and the new procedures announced Sunday, May 10, which create more confusion and instability for the thousands of asylum seekers waiting for their U.S. immigration court hearings in violent and dangerous conditions in Mexico.
AILA Supports House Introduction of the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act”
AILA commends the introduction of the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act” in the House; the bill is companion legislation to a Senate bill intended to help address the critical healthcare shortage in the United States, a weakness that has been evident during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Complaint Details ICE’s Failure to Protect Those in Its Custody Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Immigration Justice Campaign Director Karen Lucas and National Advocacy Counsel Katie Shepherd detail why ICE’s failure to protect those in its custody during the COVID-19 pandemic demands immediate oversight by DHS.
When the World is on Fire, Exceptions Should be the Rule
AILA member Amy Myers shares why USCIS should proactively address non-immigrants' (such as students on OPT) concerns about falling out of status, writing “When we are already in a recognized crisis situation, why should discretionary post-situational relief be the only available remedy?“
Bipartisan Effort Would Help Foreign Doctors, Nurses, and All of Us
AILA's Director of Government Relations Sharvari Dalal-Dheini highlights the bill Congress can and should consider quickly to address the physician and nurse shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the integral role AILA and its members played in urging Congress to take this important issue up.
New Documents Reveal Immigration Judge Hiring Plan Designed to Stack the Courts, Prioritize Politics Over Justice
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson and American Immigration Council Executive Director Beth Werlin react to documents obtained by the organizations via FOIA revealing DOJ Executive Office for Immigration Review’s updated hiring plan for Immigration Judges and Appellate Immigration Judges.
Ninth Circuit Panel Prevents Trump Administration from Implementing Health Care Ban
AILA and our partners welcomed the Ninth Circuit 2-1 panel decision today to refuse the federal government a stay pending appeal of the preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump; the government had sought a stay of the injunction granted by the U.S. District Court in Portland, OR.
Practicing Immigration Law in the COVID19 Era – Post 10
AILA Member Sabrina Damast shares lessons learned over the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of practice management, writing “I've learned that as prepared as I thought I was for business emergencies, there are still contingencies that I did not think to address.“
AILA Supports the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act”
AILA welcomes the announcement by Senators Perdue, Durbin, Young, and Coons that they will introduce bipartisan legislation which would help address the critical healthcare shortage in the United States, a weakness that has been evident during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Plaintiffs Will Continue Fight to Halt Dangerous and Unconstitutional Practices by EOIR and ICE
The decision denying the emergency TRO in NIPNLG, et al., v. EOIR, et al., is deeply disappointing; the lawsuit against EOIR and ICE was brought to protect the health of attorneys, immigrants, and the public from the impact of dangerous and unconstitutional policies.
Practicing Immigration Law in the COVID19 Era – Post 9
AILA BOG member Rekha Sharma-Crawford writes about a silver lining to the lockdown on the blog which “has allowed us to be able to think of ways to use technology to enhance our practices and…may have also opened the door…to finally contemplate work life balance in a way we have never be
Latest AILA Law Journal is Live – Take a Look!
In this blog post, Danielle Polen, AILA's Director of Publications & Online Resources shares some highlights from the latest edition of the AILA Law Journal, hot off the presses this week with articles by leading experts on a wide array of issues affecting immigration law.