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
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AILA Presents Sheila Starkey Hahn with the 2018 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award
AILA will recognize Sheila Starkey Hahn, of Memphis, Tennessee, with the 2018 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Presents Jonathan Blitzer and Sarah Stillman of The New Yorker with the 2018 Media Leadership Award
AILA will recognize The New Yorker's Jonathan Blitzer and Sarah Stillman with the 2018 Media Leadership Award, for individuals whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Presents Patrick Taurel with the 2018 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award
AILA will recognize Patrick Taurel, of Washington, D.C., with the 2018 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for his outstanding contributions made as a young lawyer in the field of immigration and nationality law. He will receive the award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Presents Dagmar Butte with the 2018 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA will recognize Dagmar Butte of Portland, OR, with the 2018 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award for her outstanding service in advancing the mission, development, and values of AILA. She will receive the award this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Recognizes Helen L. Tarokic with the 2018 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA will recognize Helen L. Tarokic, of Wilmington, North Carolina, with the 2018 Sam Williamson Mentor Award for her outstanding counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance. The award will be presented this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
AILA Presents the MAVNI Litigation Team of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver, & Jacobson LLP with the 2018 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award
AILA will recognize the MAVNI Litigation Team of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP with the 2018 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law this week during AILA’s Annual Conference in San Francisco.
Attorney General Pushes Immigration Judges to Deny Asylum to Victims of Violence
AILA responds to the Attorney General's precedent decision in which he vacated the BIA decision in Matter of A- B and announced that in his view, domestic violence victims and other victims of crimes perpetrated by private, non-government actors do not generally qualify for asylum.
Taking the Battle for Humane Treatment of Detainees from Dilley to Colorado
As she shares details about the complaint filed demanding the government address the inhumane conditions and inadequate medical assistance at the Aurora facility, Immigration Justice Campaign National Advocacy Counsel Katie Shepherd urges readers to take action and help vulnerable detainees.
Complaint Filed with DHS Oversight Bodies Calls for Improvements to Medical and Mental Health Care of Immigrants in Aurora Detention Center
AILA and American Immigration Council released a press release on their complaint, filed 6/4/18, regarding inadequate access to medical and mental health care for immigrants detained at the Denver Contract Detention Facility, which is owned and operated by the private prison company Geo Group, Inc.
The TN Visa – A Reality Check
On the blog, past AILA national president Kathleen Campbell Walker digs into some details about how TN visas authorized in NAFTA actually work, the process for both Canadian and Mexican visa holders, and the benefits of those talent flows to American companies and the economy.
The Reality is Even Worse Than the Coverage Suggests
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson writes about unaccompanied children and family separation, urging readers to fight against the administration's “callous, systematic disregard for those seeking asylum at our southern border and a disdain for the principles of due process…“
Deporting Protected Immigrants Won’t Make America Great
AILA member Matthew Weisner describes the impact that ending Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans will have on those with TPS as well as the families, businesses, and communities that rely on them; he urges Congress to pass legislation to give long-term TPS holders a path to permanent residency.
A Critical Moment for Leadership to Protect Dreamers
AILA Director of Government Relations Greg Chen highlights the efforts on Capitol Hill to force a vote in the House of Representatives on a bill to protect Dreamers, urging readers to take action and reach out to Congress on this important issue.
Hope for Moms in Detention
Karen Lucas, Director of the Immigration Justice Campaign reflects on the challenges faced by mothers in detention and how the actions of volunteers can lift their spirits from despair to hope, with something as simple as a card like those written by Columbia University students recently.
Fighting for My Client Before the BIA – A Preview
AILA Board of Governors member Stephen Manning shares a preview of a case he is arguing before the Board of Immigration Appeals today, writing that “The BIA can and must get this right. My client's fate, and the fate of his family, hinges on the decision.“
ICE Has Missed Two Detention Reporting Deadlines Set by Congress in March
AILA joined other organizations calling on congressional appropriators to hold ICE accountable for violations of congressionally imposed transparency obligations in the ever-expanding immigration detention system.
AG’s Latest Move Further Erodes the Independence of Immigration Judges
The AG announced that immigration judges and members of the BIA may no longer “administratively close” cases, except cases that meet very narrow criteria, eliminating a critical docket management tool and effectively ensuring that the courts will remain encumbered with massive backlogs.
Why I’m Going to AILA’s AC in San Francisco and Why You Should Too
In this blog post, Jack Pinnix reflects on his experiences at the AILA Annual Conference including his very first AC in 1981 which Elizabeth Gervais-Gruen convinced him to attend.
Horrifying and Inspiring – A Look Inside the Stewart Detention Center
Jennie Guilfoyle describes the experience of traveling to Stewart Detention Center and the harsh conditions immigrant detainees are subject to, as well as the inspiration she gathered from the volunteers and staff of the Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative, the Immigration Justice Campaign projec
Previewing the AILA Inspires Speaker Series
In this blog post, AILA Inspires Series Speaker Tom Steyer answers a few questions from AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson in advance of his presentation at the AILA Annual Conference in San Francisco on June 14, 2018.
DOJ and DHS Decide to Forcibly Separate Families and Prosecute Asylum Seekers
As DHS and DOJ announced new efforts that will result in the forcible separation of vulnerable families seeking protection in the United States under U.S. law, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson called the decision “a gross injustice.”
Let’s Make our Voices Heard on H-2B Cap Relief
In this blog post, AILA member Amy Novak from Colorado highlights the extreme and urgent need for additional H-2B visas and urges permanent cap relief because, “Uncertainty about visa numbers running year to year does not help employers make productive, proactive business decisions.“
Termination of TPS for Honduras Will Tear Apart Families and Harm American Businesses
DHS announced that TPS for approximately 57,000 Honduran nationals will end on January 5, 2020. In this statement, AILA President Annaluisa Padilla responded to the news and called on Congress to “pass a permanent fix to provide relief for long-term TPS beneficiaries.”
Mass Denials Upend the Lives of Persecuted Iranian Refugees
AILA member Betsy Fisher and Amira Mikhail share information about the mass denials of refugee applications for people fleeing Iran due to religious persecution and the lawsuit filed to ensure the government offers, at the very least, more information about the reasons for denial as required by law.
Sessions v. Dimaya: SCOTUS Demands Clarity and Due Process in Immigration Laws
In this blog post, AILA member Andrew Nietor highlights the Sessions v. Dimaya decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, writing that the decision “offers a welcome return to the rule of law and its consistent application nationwide.“