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
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Think Immigration: Could Someone Tell Governor Abbott He’s Shooting Texas in the Foot?
AILA Past President Kathleen Campbell Walker details how Texas Governor Greg Abbott's decision to pause use of the H-1B visa by state agencies and public institutions of higher education ignores visa-holders' importance to the state's healthcare workforce and university system.
Think Immigration: All You Need is Love Model Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3
AILA member Stef Fisher-Pinkert compares the requirements of Lozada to those of the Model Rule of Professional Conduct, describing how the additional burden of Lozada is unnecessary, that clearly "our professional and ethical obligations are enough."
Family Section Newsletter, February 2026
Monthly newsletter brought to you by the members of the Family Section Steering Committee
The content of this email was created by Kathleen Irish, the AILA Family Section Chair, along with the assistance of other members of the Family Section Steering Committee
GMS E-Bulletin, January 2026
The January 2026 GMS E-Bulletin provides the latest updates from around the Globe, introductions of new GMS members, and useful information for your practice!
Think Immigration: A Civil Code, Enforced at Gunpoint
AILA Past President Jeremy McKinney describes how Congress normalized “arming a civil enforcement agency with criminal-style power while insisting the Constitution counts for less” and what must be done to ensure “Civil law is not a back door to a police state.”
Bipartisan Effort Blocks Unchecked DHS Funding
AILA leadership responded to the Senate vote to block passage of a combined spending bill, driven by opposition to increasing funding to DHS without, at the same time, enacting meaningful measures that check the unlawful abuses and violence being committed in cities across the nation.
Think Immigration: Dynamic and Fast-Evolving: How to Stay on Top of EB-5
AILA member Joey Barnett describes how EB-5 has evolved from a niche corner of immigration law to "one of the most dynamic, high-stakes, and fast-evolving areas that U.S. immigration attorneys handle."
Think Immigration: The Spiritual Dimension of the Immigration Journey
AILA member Yalda Hajavi reflects on the spiritual aspect of the immigration journey, writing that “anyone who has lived through the process knows that it’s also an internal journey—one that demands patience, resilience, and a deep sense of purpose.”
ABC News: DHS Announces Termination of Protected Status for Somalis After Group Targeted by Trump
DHS claims improved conditions in Somalia justify termination of TPS. AILA Senior Director of Government Relations Greg Chen responds, “That statement is really belied and contradicted by the facts on the ground ... the country continues to see terrorism, violent crime, and civil unrest.”
Think Immigration: Congress Must Reject Funding for 44,500 Immigration Detention Beds
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Heather Hogan urges readers to take action and tell Congress to reject increased funding for detention beds, explaining how this funding would mean “a dangerous expansion of a system that is already deadly, wasteful, and deeply flawed. We need to act now to stop it.”
Think Immigration: How Chapters Can Open Their Doors to New Immigration Attorneys and Law Students
Erin Sweeney, from AILA’s Member Experience Committee, writes about her experience as a law student and new member and highlights the ways the New Jersey chapter has helped connect those new to the field with experienced practitioners, encouraging other chapters to do the same.
GMS E-Bulletin, December 2025
The December 2025 GMS E-Bulletin provides the latest updates from around the Globe, introductions of new GMS members, and useful information for your practice!
Think Immigration: America’s New Year’s Resolutions
AILA Board of Governors Member Andrew Nietor calls for America to make some resolutions this New Year, writing that we must “remember that being a nation of immigrants is not a weakness to manage but an opportunity and a strength we must cultivate and steward.”
Think Immigration: What Are Alternatives to the H-1B Visa?
AILA member Muhammed Üzüm explains why talking with candidates and employers about cap-independent options such as O-1 and L-1 visas that may fit their circumstances is crucial given the uncertainty surrounding the cost and timing of H-1B visa petitions.
AILA: Trump Administration Moves Harm Families and Employers and Do Not Make America Safer
AILA President Jeff Joseph responds to the Trump Administration's recent changes, including the expansion of the ban and halt to the Diversity Visa program, noting the continued weaponization of "tragedies as a pretext to advance anti-immigrant policies" rather than actually make America safer.
Think Immigration: The Hidden Harms of ICE’s Treatment of Children and Youth
AILA Law Journal authors Lisa Jacobs, Jessica Heldman, and Sarah Diaz share more about the inherent injustice in the use of juvenile records in immigration proceedings and why the practice, which causes irreparable harm to children, must stop.
Think Immigration: When the State Department’s Human Rights Reports Become Political Tools
AILA DOS Committee Member Daniel Parisi describes changes to State Department reports on human rights, and how "the consequences are troubling: if country-condition evidence becomes less complete, the factual basis of asylum, withholding, CAT, and humanitarian-based applications may be undermined."
Border Report: Immigration Lawyers Decry New Asylum Policies
Border Report highlights AILA's recent press briefing about the Trump Administration's latest far-reaching immigration restrictions. AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson stated: "These sweeping restrictions will not make our nation safer."
Think Immigration: Enhancing Justice: The Crucial Role of the Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act
AILA Practice and Policy Counsel Vanessa Dojaquez-Torres details the recently introduced Temporary Immigration Judge Integrity Act and how the bill "is a crucial step towards a fairer and more just immigration court system."
CNN: How Trump Is Intensifying His Crackdown on Every Form of Immigration to the United States
CNN reports on the President's latest immigration crackdown, prompted by the shooting of two National Guard members. AILA President Jeff Joseph explains, "It's hard to predict and advise our clients on how to navigate this system ... Imagine walking in a house of mirrors blindfolded."
CBS News: Interview with AILA Senior Director of Government Relations
In an interview with CBS News, Greg Chen, Senior Director of Government Relations at AILA, discusses the sweeping immigration policy changes implemented by the Trump Administration following the recent National Guard shooting.
CNN: How Trump Is Intensifying His Crackdown on Every Form of Immigration to the U.S.
CNN reports that, prompted by the shooting of two National Guard members, President Trump has halted or significantly tightened every legal and illegal form of foreign entry into the United States. AILA President Jeff Joseph describes what it’s like to be an immigration attorney right now.
New York Times: U.S. Pauses Immigration Applications from Nations on Travel Ban List
The New York Times reports the Trump Administration has paused immigration applications filed by immigrants from 19 countries it restricted from travel to the United States earlier this year, halting green card and U.S. citizenship processing for broad swaths of people.
The Hill: Trump Ramps Up Immigration Crackdown After Shooting
The Hill reports that President Trump’s threats to crack down on immigration are leaving migrants bracing as the Administration said it will close the door on many legal pathways to the United States following a shooting that killed a National Guard member and wounded another.
Reuters: U.S. Pauses All Immigration Applications from 19 Non-European Countries
Reuters reports that the Trump Administration said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and U.S. citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety.