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.
Are you a member who was quoted in a news story? Contact newsroom@aila.org to let us know.
Are you a member of the press? Visit the Press Room.
AILA in the News
Browse the Immigration News collection
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.”
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: 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.
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.”
The Chess Prodigy and Asylum Policy
AILA member and Senior Legal Editor Rizwan Hassan writes about the recent New York State Scholastic Chess child champion Tanitoluwa Adewumi as an example of the asylum seekers and refugees who have made America great over generations, urging that we take action and call for good immigration policy.
American Immigration Council and AILA File Complaint to Bring Injustice in El Paso Immigration Court to Light
The American Immigration Council and AILA filed an oversight complaint demanding investigation and highlighting systemic due process violations that are undermining justice for detained immigrants called before judges at the El Paso Service Processing Center immigration court.
Lift the H-1B Cap to Benefit U.S. Employers and U.S. Workers
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Doug Penn describes how lifting the cap on H-1B visa numbers could “help the large and small employers who need employees with these skills to meet workforce demands, build up U.S. workforce training programs, and enhance fraud detection and prevention efforts.&#
Saluting AILA’s Women Trailblazers
In this blog post for Women's History Month, the women on AILA's Executive Committee recognize some of the many women who have played a key role in the history of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Despite the #MeToo Movement, Roll-Backs in Protection Endanger Immigrant Women: It is Time for #ImmigrantWomenToo
In this blog post, Morgan Weibel shares the importance of humanitarian protections for immigrant victims of sexual assault and violence, how they are being undermined, and the need to unite behind the move to recognize and address the plight of #ImmigrantWomenToo.
14 Year Odyssey to get U.S. Citizenship Back After Forced Renunciation
In this blog post, AILA member Alice Yardum-Hunter recounts the fourteen year battle her client fought to regain his citizenship which he had not voluntarily renounced.
Read All About It: ABA Report Calls for Independent Immigration Courts
Jeremy McKinney describes what he is seeing in his practice which underscores the need for an independent immigration court, a call echoed by the American Bar Association's new report on the immigration system released March 20, 2019.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media as an Immigration Attorney
William Stock, past AILA president and active social media user, describes some techniques and tactics for engaging on social media and harnessing the power of several digital platforms to help you develop your brand and establish yourself as a thought leader.
The View from the Chair
In this blog post, part of the AILA Diversity & Inclusion series, committee member Caroline Ostrom explains how “incorporating ways to include those with disabilities into your practice as colleagues, employees, and clients, makes business sense and is the right thing to do.“
On-the-Ground Advocacy at a Women and Children’s Detention Center
Recent Dilley Pro Bono Project volunteers and AILA law student members Alex George and Carolina Solano share their experience helping mothers and children incarcerated in Texas, the impact of recent policies and decisions, and why we need to #EndFamilyDetention.