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
Why Immigration Lawyers Shouldn’t Do Math
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Sandra Feist shares the math behind where the H-1B fees have been going, supporting more than $5 billion in training and scholarships in STEM fields for Americans and making a huge difference to researchers and educators alike.
President Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” Program Is an Assault on Human Rights
AILA member Isabel Duarte describes a recent immigration court hearing with families impacted by the Remain in Mexico or Migrant Protection Protocols policy, showing how the program harms families and is an assault on human rights and due process.
Immigration Attorneys, It’s Time to Add a Whole New Section to Your Client Screening Sheets
In this blog post, AILA member and ACLU MN Policy Counsel Julia Decker highlights recent changes to social media information collection and the “serious“ civil liberties implications and chilling effect the collection will have.
House Passes the American Dream and Promise Act
AILA applauds the passage of the American Dream and Promise Act in the House of Representatives.
AILA Bylaws Amendments! Now That I’ve Got Your Attention…
In this blog post, AILA Treasurer Jeremy McKinney urges AILA members to vote on a set of bylaws amendments, writing that while most of them aren't Earth-shattering, there are amendments that would provide much needed “structure, formality, risk management, and most importantly, due process.
Tariffs Hurt Americans, Won’t Stop Asylum Seekers
AILA leadership recommended solutions to restore order to the border region, in contrast to President’s Trump’s planned new tariffs on Mexican imports to the United States, calling for improved “processing of migrants without sacrificing fundamental humanitarian values and damaging our economy.”
Let’s Break Down the Perpetual Foreigner Stereotype
In this blog post, part of the AILA Diversity & Inclusion series, committee member Olivia Lee explores her own family's history and urges all of us to break down the “perpetual foreigner“ stereotypes that divide us.
Moving on Dream and Temporary Protected Status Is the Right Path
AILA urged Congress to move forward legislation to offer permanent legal status for “Dreamers” – young people brought to America as children – and the thousands of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders whose protections have been put in jeopardy.
President’s Speech Short on Details of Workable Immigration Plan
AILA leaders Anastasia Tonello and Benjamin Johnson responded to President Trump's new plan to reform America’s legal immigration system which, if implemented, would prioritize merit-based immigration and reduce family-based immigration.
The Fight on Behalf of Transgender Asylum Seekers Detained in Pearsall
AILA Senior Counsel of Pro Bono Program Jocelyn Dyer highlights recent wins for transgender asylum seekers detained in Pearsall as part of the Immigration Justice Campaign and urges readers to get involved to help more detained immigrants get a fair day in court.
Bipartisan Group of 38 Senators Calls USCIS to Account for Crisis-Level Processing Delays
A bipartisan group of 38 senators led by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent two letters to the administration, calling it to account for the crisis-level case processing delays at USCIS and demanding an assessment of how USCIS’s own policies contribute to this trend.
Advocacy in Action: Congress Demands Answers from USCIS
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Fiona McEntee reflects on NDA 2019 and the successful effort to have Congress hold USCIS accountable for crisis-level processing delays.
But the Royal Baby Actually is a U.S. Citizen…
AILA member John Manley explains why the citizenship of the new British royal baby is even a question, and highlights some of the complexities of U.S. immigration law.
A Spotlight on Misinformation
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson details recent misinformation from the president about the border, immigrants, and asylum seekers, and notes, “Sadly, the Trump administration's border enforcement strategy remains largely unchanged even as the nature of the challenge has changed dramatically.R
Michelle Angela Ortiz: Illuminating Injustice Through Art
AILA Senior Legal Editor Rizwan Hassan highlights a visual artist and community educator, Michelle Angela Ortiz, who has brought attention to families detained in Berks, PA, writing “we must use whatever skills and talents we have at our disposal to battle the injustices we see.“
AILA Releases New Edition of INA and CFR
AILA is proud to release the 2019 editions of the INA and CFR; AILA President Anastasia Tonello noted, “Especially as USCIS continues to create new standards and requirements…in-depth knowledge and easy access to primary sources of immigration law are vital for any successful practice.”
AILA: Presidential Memo Seeks to Deny Asylum Seekers Fundamental Human Rights
AILA responded to the White House memo of April 29, 2019, raising concerns that while the memo itself does not change asylum policy, it directs the DHS and DOJ to issue regulations that would dramatically alter how asylum seekers obtain protection and dilute their rights during that process.
USCIS Acknowledges That Its Own Policies Compound Case Processing Delays
AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights data from a recent USCIS response to Congress, noting evidence that “USCIS policies are undermining the agency's statutory mandate to efficiently process applications and petitions for immigration benefits“ and calling for USCIS to be held to account.
AILA Welcomes Sharvari (Shev) Dalal-Dheini as Government Relations Director
AILA welcomes Sharvari (Shev) Dalal-Dheini as Director of Government Relations; she will focus on the employment-based and immigration benefits sphere, and will partner with current Government Relations Director Gregory Chen in leading the department.
A New Resource on Immigration Law: AILA Law Journal is Live!
In this blog post, AILA President Anastasia Tonello announces the inaugural edition of the AILA Law Journal, highlighting the articles and themes within the seven pieces and inviting articles for future editions.
Fastcase and American Immigration Lawyers Association Release Inaugural Issue of AILA Law Journal
AILA and Fastcase announced the release of the inaugural edition of the AILA Law Journal featuring articles by experts on topics such as the renunciation of U.S. citizenship, Central American asylum seekers, extraordinary ability adjudications, travel ban waivers, and more.
“What Do You Mean I’m Not a U.S. Citizen?”
In this blog post, AILA member Tracie Klinke shares some situations and tough questions she has encountered recently in practicing family immigration law and how her experiences have fed into the development of sessions for AILA's Annual Conference Family Track.
Americans Abroad Among Those Being Left in the Lurch by the Trump Administration
AILA member Jeremy Weber shares insights into the vital role USCIS International Operations serve and highlights how closure of those offices will negatively impact all too many Americans, their families, American businesses, and refugees.
AILA: AG Aims to Detain Asylum Seekers, Intruding Further on Immigration Court Independence
In response to the AG’s decision in Matter of M-S-, AILA Treasurer Jeremy McKinney stated, “This decision further expands mandatory and prolonged detention of people who are neither dangerous nor flight risks, practices which are constitutionally suspect and a waste of taxpayer money.”
AILA: H-1B Cap Reached Within Days, Highlighting America’s Need for Foreign Professionals to Fill Critical Workforce Gaps
USCIS announced receipt of more than 201,000 H-1B visa petitions for FY2020; AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson noted that, “the lack of adequate visas is only hurting American businesses and workers. Congress needs to raise the cap so the number of visas reflects the needs of our economy.”