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
Governing with Blinders On
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson describes how the border security debate ignores how border enforcement “works in the real world“ and highlights how our “immigration system is very much out of step with economic and social reality.“
After Congress Refuses to Fund Border Wall to His Liking, President Trump Attempts End Run Around Constitution
AILA responds to President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to get funds for a border wall.
Tool Time: What You Need to Sue the Government
AILA member Lori Chesser describes how business immigration law experts may want to explore litigation as an option for clients and highlights her recent win along with some useful AILA resources.
AILA Stands with Our Members Against Government Retaliation
In this blog post, AILA President-Elect Marketa Lindt and AILA Treasurer Jeremy McKinney describe recent troubling events which could impact access to counsel for asylum seekers at the border and avow “We stand with our members…We stand ready to fight.“
Agency Delays Enact the Administration’s Immigration Agenda
AILA Member Sandra Feist highlights another brick in the Trump administration's “invisible wall“ relating to delays and obstacles to I-751 petitioners and the significant impact those delays can have on immigrants who “got in line“ and their families as well.
Matter of A-B-: Case Updates, Current Trends, and Suggested Strategies
AILA Asylum and Refugee Committee Chair Dree Collopy describes Matter of A-B- and its potential impact on asylum law and previews an upcoming webinar on the topic that is open to interested practitioners.
AILA Analysis Reveals Crisis-Level Delays in USCIS Case Processing
In this blog post, AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd shares key points from AILA's recent policy brief and explains how USCIS processing delays have reached crisis levels under the Trump administration.
Trump Administration Unveils More Severe Restrictions on Due Process and Asylum in “Remain in Mexico”
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson raises concerns with new procedures described today by USCIS in which an “assessment” that determines whether Central American asylum applicants can pursue their claims from within the U.S. would be made, but access to counsel would be prohibited.
End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act: What’s Wrong with the Trump-McConnell Bill
AILA Member Sabrina Damast highlights the damaging provisions in the bill supported by the administration to end the shutdown which would negatively impact Dreamers, TPS-recipients, and asylum seekers.
Damaging Bill Is a Bait-and-Switch on Immigration
A bill slated for introduction in the Senate would fund President Trump’s border wall, but as AILA notes, it also includes many extreme provisions impacting asylum law, Temporary Protected Status holders, and more, that go far beyond what the president laid out in his recent speech.
End the Shutdown so Good Faith Negotiations on Immigration Can Begin
After President Trump’s speech today, AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson expressed skepticism that “the President is attempting to use his own failed policies as bargaining chips” and instead should re-open the government so “lawmakers can begin serious talks to reform our immigration system.”
Go to Tijuana. Go Now.
In this blog post, AILA members Kara Lynum and Christina Brown describe their experience volunteering at the border with asylum seekers and urge other AILA members and the public to take action as well!
Unintended Consequences
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Matthew Maiona highlights the unintended consequences of the shutdown, including a halt to the E-Verify program which allows U.S. employers to check the eligibility of applicants to work.
Serious about Border Security?
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson takes a look at the real dangers to U.S. border security, writing “Were the President serious about border security, he would focus his administration's attention and resources on the transnational criminal cartels who deal drugs, run guns, and launder money.̶
See Your Successes – the Justice Campaign’s Year in Numbers
Justice Campaign director Karen Lucas reflects on the difficulties and triumphs of 2018, writing that because of the amazing work of volunteers, the campaign “will enter 2019 with something that cannot and will not be deterred by anti-immigrant executive actions and rhetoric: hope.“
Take Action: Comment on the H-1B Proposed Rule
AILA President-Elect Marketa Lindt urges AILA members to use AILA's Take Action tool to comment on the proposed H-1B rule, writing “this is an issue on which we as AILA members need to be heard.“
Judge Finds Attorney General’s Gutting of Asylum Protections Unlawful
AILA President Anastasia Tonello and Executive Director Benjamin Johnson responded to today’s ruling striking down key portions of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision in Matter of A-B-, which restricted asylum for victims of domestic and gang violence.
Trump Administration Sows Chaos, Risks Lives with “Remain in Mexico” Policy
AILA responds to the government’s new policy that would force most asylum seekers who have passed a preliminary screening to remain in Mexico pending a full hearing before an immigration judge, and calls on them to immediately restore asylum seekers’ ability to pursue their claims inside the U.S.
AILA Teams Up with the ACLU and Others to Tear Down Barriers to Access to Counsel
In this blog post, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson describes the lawsuit AILA joined as plaintiff in response to ICE and Geo Group creating unlawful barriers to attorney-client communications.
Proposed H-1B Policy Creates New Uncertainty for American Employers
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Sandra Feist explains what the proposed H-1B rule would really mean for American employers and encourages a different path forward, in which “a more flexible, responsive visa program for professionals“ is developed.
Protect the American Dream – Comment on the Public Charge Rule
In this blog post, AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson lays out what the proposed “public charge“ rule would do and how anyone can lift their voice and submit a comment about how the rule would negatively impact America, writing “for the health and well-being of our society as a whole, we must
USCIS’s New Policy is a Boon to Abusers and Traffickers
Christie Popp shares her experiences working with immigrant victims and witnesses of crimes and highlights how the new USCIS NTA policy for VAWA, U- and T-visas will hinder law enforcement efforts and cause harm, not only to applicants, but to their families and communities as well.
A Dozen Years of PERM – A Practitioner’s Perspective
In this blog post, AILA member and PERM expert Ceridwen Koski offers insights into how the PERM landscape has changed over the past dozen years and what AILA members can do to prepare themselves to meet their clients' needs.
Ellis Island – A Window to our Past and Future
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Doug Penn visited Ellis Island and the ruins of the country's first public health hospital there; he urges all of us, “as you live and work, try to see your life from the perspective of Ellis Island - and live up to that statue in the harbor.“
TPS Holders Impacted by Immigration Scams
AILA member Anna Gallagher highlights the importance of avoiding scams and getting qualified counsel in an uncertain immigration environment, particularly those who hold Temporary Protected Status.