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
AILA: We Will Continue to Serve Our Members and Our Nation
In responding to the election results, AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson stated, “AILA and its more than 16,000 members will continue to defend the Constitution and stand against laws and policies that violate due process, undermine civil rights, or denigrate the contributions of immigrants.”
Think Immigration: Getting Back to Basics - How to Improve the Entire Immigration System
AILA Law Journal Editor-in-Chief Cyrus Mehta previews the fall edition writing, “Our immigration laws will not get better unless we continue to advocate and share our expertise about how our existing system’s weaknesses harm America.”
GMS E-Bulletin, October 2024
The October 2024 GMS E-Bulletin kicks off the new committee year and continues our theme of personal stories from members as well as practical updates from the world of global migration.
Think Immigration: The Most Powerful Immigration Practice Tool – U.S. District Court Litigation
In this blog post, Brian Green explains why he believes “There has never been a better time to challenge unreasonable denials issued by USCIS and other federal agencies” and how the federal court litigation online course can set you and your clients, up for success.
Think Immigration: Don’t Fall for It! Avoiding Immigration Scams
In this blog post, Reid Trautz and Camille Rybacki Koch from AILA’s Practice and Professionalism Center describe some common immigration scams and ways to protect yourself, linking to helpful resources offered by trusted sources to help you avoid those seeking to take advantage.
AILA Executive Director Welcomes Administration’s Moves to Protect Lebanese Nationals
AILA ED Ben Johnson welcomed news that the Biden Administration will designate TPS for Lebanese nationals. Additionally, the Administration detailed how Lebanese nationals in the U.S. can apply for work authorization based on Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) and special relief as foreign students.
Think Immigration: From Adversity to Advocacy - The Power of the Immigrant Experience
AILA DEI Scholarship recipient Maryam Soroush advocates for immigration law reform, writing “how much better off would we be if Congress were to fully reform the system to address the country’s workforce needs today and make it adaptable to address future opportunities as well?”
AILA National Ethics Committee Unveils Comprehensive Compendium for Immigration Lawyers
AILA is proud to announce the release of the newly revised AILA Ethics Compendium: Modern Legal Ethics for Immigration Lawyers, designed to assist lawyers in navigating the complex ethical issues that arise in their immigration practice, available in print or digital format.
Think Immigration: Why Do You Need an Immigration Attorney?
In this blog post, AILA New England chapter chair Mitch Montgomery compiled insights from several law student interns answering the important question: Why Do You Need an Immigration Attorney?
Think Immigration: How the New D3 Waiver Guidance Is Unlocking Opportunities for Dreamers in the Workforce
AILA Members Krsna Avila, Dan Berger, and Stephen Yale-Loehr share two “D3 waiver” success stories and highlight the Cornell Law School effort to advise eligible clients and track progress under the updated guidance issued by the Biden Administration earlier in the summer.
Think Immigration: Rules on Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers Must Be Revisited
AILA Member John Daniels explains why USCIS should revisit the provisional unlawful presence waiver process. The current rule, among other things, leaves applicants without work authorization with backlogs stretching to nearly four years, needlessly harming American families.
AILA Law Journal, Vol. 6, Number 2, October 2024
The October 2024 edition of the AILA Law Journal is now available.
Biden Administration Cements Harmful Asylum Restrictions
AILA President Kelli Stump and Executive Director Ben Johnson respond to the Biden Administration’s codification of harmful policies that are already undermining U.S. asylum law and denying fair access to humanitarian protection for vulnerable individuals and families.
Think Immigration: Top 10 Things to Consider When Applying for a United States Nonimmigrant Tourist Visa
AILA Affiliated Paralegal Kathryn Bouchard describes some key things to keep in mind if someone is planning a visit to the United States for tourism in this useful Top Ten list, highlighting some important U.S. government resources for applicants to read through along the way.
Think Immigration: It’s a New Era – Jump in and #GOTV
AILA Past President and member of the AILA's SCOPE Committee William (Bill) Stock describes a recent get-out-the-vote (GOTV) effort led by the Philadelphia Chapter, with members nationwide participating. He urges you to get involved either in person or virtually this election cycle.
Think Immigration: Breaking Down Barriers - Improving Asylum Laws for Queer Migrants
AILA DEI Scholarship Award winner Abby Leigh advocates for changes to asylum law, describing reforms necessary in order to “offer LGBTQIA+ asylum seekers a meaningful chance to claim protection and live up to America’s promise of safety for those fleeing persecution.
AILA and Partners Celebrate the 19th AILA Citizenship Day
AILA proudly joins NALEO Educational Fund, the National Partnership for New Americans, Citizenshipworks, and the New Americans Campaign for the 19th AILA Citizenship Day events offering legal expertise and support as lawful permanent residents take the final steps toward citizenship
Think Immigration: BIA Hands Immigration Judges the Whiteout to “Fix” Defective NTAs
AILA Past President Jeremy McKinney writes about the BIA decision in Matter of R- T- P- allowing immigration judges to “cure” defective NTAs, making them an agent of the prosecutors. This is the latest sign that an independent immigration court is necessary to ensure justice and due process.
Think Immigration: From “Alien” to “Noncitizen”: The Subtle Power of Language in U.S. Appellate Courts
AILA Law Student Member Bill De La Rosa and co-author Zachary Neilson-Papish share new research examining how terms like “alien” and “noncitizen” have been used in U.S. courts of appeal in an effort to “gain insights into potential biases and work toward a more equitable legal system.”
Think Immigration: I Wish People Understood How Immigration Status Isn’t “Fixed”
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Annie Wang shares her insights and personal story when it comes to immigration status not being “fixed” or static, writing that it “can change dramatically; it isn’t as though someone’s status is immutable or set in stone.”
Think Immigration: Immigration Is the Solution, Not the Problem
AILA member Ava Morgenstern digs into the numbers to show how we need to ignore the election year rhetoric and focus on how immigration is what the U.S. workforce needs, writing “Our biggest population challenge is not growth (whether birth or immigration), but aging.”
Think Immigration: Embracing Diversity - Navigating Cultural Nuances in Immigration Law
Part of our series by DEI Scholarship winners, in this blog post author Jacqueline Abraham shares what shaped her understanding of how, “embracing diversity is not only essential in navigating cultural nuances in immigration law but also fundamental to the principles of justice and equality.”
AILA President Responds to Litigation Attempting to Halt Keeping Families Together Program
AILA President Kelli Stump reacted to the news that Texas, joined by 15 other states and Stephen Miller of America First Legal, filed litigation in an attempt to halt the newly implemented “Keeping Families Together” program, calling the states’ standing arguments “weak” and “baseless.”
AILA Joins Litigation Partners to Fight for Afghan Nationals Left in Limbo
AILA joined Christopher Dempsey and Aleksandra Peryeva in filing a class action complaint in the case LaMarche v. Mayorkas focusing on the U.S. government’s arbitrary end to expediting humanitarian parole requests for Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Think Immigration: First Circuit Decision on “Climate Refugees” Must Not Discourage Advocates’ Efforts to Help
In this blog post, IRAP senior attorney and AILA member José G. Miranda details how, despite a recent federal court setback, advocates can continue to work to expand policy and legal frameworks to protect climate-displaced individuals.