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
Bipartisan Legislation Underscores Need for Transparency and Accountability Within USCIS
AILA welcomes the Case Backlog and Transparency Act of 2020 introduced in the House to hold USCIS accountable for severe case processing delays and an ever-growing immigration backlog.
The Bill That Would Guarantee Attorney-Client Access (But Wait, Don’t We Already Have That?)
In this blog post, AILA member Brent Renison describes why new legislation to allow access to counsel for immigrants placed into secondary or deferred inspection upon entry would “allow fairness to have jurisdiction at the borders.“
Defending Freedom Needs More Than Heroes – Governments Must Be Accountable
In this blog post, AILA Director of Government Relations Greg Chen calls for change as he describes the dichotomy with how the Venezuelan opposition leader was hailed at the State of the Union and how vulnerable Venezuelan asylum seekers are treated at the border.
An Inside Look – Tips from a Clinical Social Worker Helping Asylum Seekers
Psychological evaluations can be hugely important for vulnerable clients' cases, but attorneys may have some questions about how best to approach having one done. In this blog post, Jocelyn Dyer shares helpful tips from Aimee Miller, a clinical social worker.
Diversity in Immigration Law Firms
In this post, part of the Diversity and Inclusion blog post series, AILA members John Pratt, David Calles Smith, and Elizabeth Montano highlight the myriad benefits of a diverse and inclusive immigration law firm.
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and the National Partnership for New Americans Assist Aspiring Citizens Through Citizenship Day Events
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and the National Partnership for New Americans, are proud to sponsor the dozens of naturalization clinics in cities and towns across the country as part of the 14th AILA Citizenship Day, taking place on Saturday, February 1, 2020.
The Truth About our Immigration Court System
AILA Second Vice President Jeremy McKinney describes why an independent immigration court is so desperately needed and shares resources related to his recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Immigration Subcommittee about this issue.
AILA Condemns Trump Administration’s Expansion of Discriminatory Travel Ban
AILA leadership condemned the Trump administration’s expansion of its travel ban to include nationals from Burma (Myanmar), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan , Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania.
After AILA Attends Tour of the Laredo Tent Court, Questions Still Abound
In this blog post, Greg Chen, Leidy Perez-Davis, and Katy Murdza report back on the recently offered tour of tent court facilities in Texas as well as why AILA remains deeply concerned about lack of due process and urges the administration to “end the use of tent courts and the Remain in Mexico prog
New Trump Administration Policy Attempts to Turn Consular Officers into Pregnancy Police and Creates a Back-Door Health Care Ban
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson details several concerns with the new “birth tourism” rule and notes, “Given the limited information provided in the rule and the failure to provide sufficient notice and comment to the public, litigation is almost certainly on the horizon.”
Immigration Judge vs. Passport Agency – the Battle Over Mario’s Citizenship is Finally Over
In this blog post, AILA member Eva Garcia Mendoza describes the lengths she had to go to in order to protect her client Mario after repeated and concerted efforts to deny him the U.S. Citizenship which was rightfully his, noting “Immigration lawyers know that our work changes peoples' lives.“
AILA Disappointed in Supreme Court Stay of Injunction of Public Charge Rule
AILA expressed disappointment and concern at the 5-4 Supreme Court decision to stay the current nationwide injunction of the “public charge” rule. The administration can now, temporarily at least, implement the Public Charge Final Rule everywhere but Illinois, while underlying litigation continues.
Resolve to Do Pro Bono – One Attorney’s Experience
AILA member Kursten Phelps shares a recent volunteer experience with asylum seekers and urges that we all resolve to engage, writing, “There are naturalization clinics to staff, border assistance projects to plug into, translations, remote CFI and bond hearing assistance to support.“
The Travel Ban – Iran as an Example of Why the Administration Should Revisit This Cruel Policy
AILA BOG member Ally Bolour describes the impact of the administration's travel ban, using the example of Iran to show how and why the ban is “cruel and unnecessary.“ He urges everyone to “continue to fight against it for all those impacted, their families, American businesses, and our communi
Top AILA Videos and Blog Posts of 2019
This blog post highlights the most-read blog posts and most-watched videos AILA produced and published in 2019 - take a look, and see you in 2020!
They/Them/Ours
In this blog post, part of the Diversity and Inclusion Blog Post series, AILA Member Sarah Pitney describes how taking 30 seconds to discuss pronouns with a client or colleague can ensure your firm is more welcoming and inclusive.
Germany’s New Business Immigration Law
In this blog post, AILA member Dominique Pando Bucci explains how Germany, through measures such as The Skilled Immigration Act, is opening its arms to foreign workers.
Civil Rights Coalition Successfully Blocks Trump Administration’s Latest Attempt to Implement Health Care Ban
AILA and our litigation partners welcomed the Ninth Circuit’s 2-1 decision to refuse the federal government an administrative stay pending appeal of the preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump.
Individuals Seeking Protection in El Paso Detention Centers Continue to Face the Impossible. Help Us Push Back.
In this blog post, AILA member Rebekah Wolf explores some of the hurdles asylum seekers are facing in El Paso, Texas and how to help push back by getting involved with the Immigration Justice Campaign and the El Paso Immigration Collaborative (EPIC).
Eyes on the Border but Shut Out of the Tent Courts
In this blog post, AILA leaders share insights from the border delegation where they witnessed the terrible impact of the Remain in Mexico policy, urging “more coordination among advocates, more aggressive litigation in each immigration courtroom, more petitions and class actions…“
Bipartisan Bill Brings Needs of Farmworkers and Farmers to the Forefront
AILA President Marketa Lindt and AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson respond to the passage of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Why Immigration Lawyers Should Care about the TRAP Act – It Will Address INTERPOL Abuse
AILA Member Sandra Grossman highlights the efforts in Congress to address the abuse of INTERPOL Red Notices in the U.S. immigration context and urges support for the TRAP Act which would move INTERPOL to improve transparency and deter abuse of their system.
Civil Rights Coalition Successfully Enjoins Presidential Health Insurance Proclamation
AILA and our litigation partners obtained a preliminary nationwide injunction in Doe v. Trump, thereby ensuring that the administration’s attempt to ban immigrants based on their ability to obtain health insurance will not be implemented while litigation continues.
Names are Important
In this blog post, part of the Diversity and Inclusion Blog Post Series, AILA Member L. Patricia Ice explains the reasoning behind shifting the name of the AILA African American Interest Group to the African Diaspora Interest Group and invites interested AILA members to join the group.
Prepping for the Next Debate: Where the Candidates Stand on Immigration
Greg Chen and Cara Pavlak highlight the positions of the Democratic presidential candidates on immigration and encourage readers to use the AILA 2020 Election Guide, and the accompanying social media toolkit, to engage on immigration during the debate.