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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Rhetoric Versus Reality on Employment-Based Immigration
The Trump administration recently released extensive data about the H-1B program, including the names of H-1B employers, and so I was curious how this data has been used and interpreted, and also whether we can glean something about the motivations for the data dump. I didn't need to look far. The a
IJ Performance Quotas: A Threat to Due Process and Judicial Independence
On October 12, 2017, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration seeks to impose numeric quotas on immigration judges as part of their performance evaluations. Speeding up deportation proceedings without regard to the impact on due process and judicial independence is an affront to th
Defending the Practice of Immigration Law in an Age of Falsehoods
In his October 12th remarks to the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Attorney General Jeff Sessions lamented the fact that those with a credible claim for asylum have in recent years more frequently exercised the rights and protections provided to them under the Immigration and Nationa
A Fighting Chance to Claim Asylum
Earlier this year, a young man called James* fled his country of origin after enduring yet another attack on his life, this time at the hands of his family members who learned he was gay. They also reported James to the police, who began searching for him because, under a law outlawing homosexuality
Temporary Protected Status for Sudanese Ending – Dust Off Those Case Files
Last month the administration announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Sudan, effective November 2, 2018. The September 18 announcement stated that Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke had “determined that conditions in Sudan no longer support its designation,&#
Volunteering in Family Detention – Saving One Family at a Time
I volunteered a week in Dilley, Texas, at the South Texas Family Residential Center to give back to the immigrant community and the most vulnerable. While I was there, I also learned more about asylum law, which has made me a better lawyer. Here's what I saw and learned:
Undeterred by White Supremacist Threats, AILA Stands with America’s Immigrants
After members of a white supremacist group targeted our building, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson stated: “AILA and its members will not be deterred or distracted from our work and our mission to stand by America’s immigrants and to advocate for fair and just immigration laws and policies.”
Good News You Can Use
Are you overwhelmed yet? I have to be honest, there are moments when I want to throw up my hands and somehow pause it all: the non-stop announcements from the Trump administration, calls and conversations with anxious immigrants and advocates, and our work coordinating pro bono services for vulnerab
AILA: Attorney General Derides the Role of Due Process in the American Asylum System
AILA rejected the baseless attacks on America’s asylum system by the attorney general, noting that “Given the humanitarian concerns involved, the tragedy here is that nowhere in the attorney general’s harangue against the system were any useful solutions that would actually make the system better.”
AILA: Trump Administration Erodes Integrity and Fairness in Immigration Courts
AILA strongly opposes the Trump administration’s plans to impose numeric quotas on immigration judges in order to speed up deportations which threatens the integrity of the immigration court system and the independence of the judicial branch.
Fighting for the Underdog
Some of Hollywood's most iconic films have featured an “underdog“ plot: a protagonist facing impossible odds who proves victorious through greater tenacity and determination. This is certainly a theme our immigrant clients and immigration law practices can relate to, perhaps now more than eve
AILA: White House Principles on Immigration Fail America
AILA condemned the Trump administration’s “Immigration Principles and Priorities” as destructive and unworkable. AILA reaffirms its commitment and support for real bipartisan immigration reform to increase our country’s shared prosperity and restore our legacy as a nation welcoming to immigrants.
In the Midst of Chaos, Where is Our Lifeline?
Mother Nature hit Puerto Rico hard with Hurricane Maria. Regardless of the deadline for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewals and irrespective of the need for immigration lawyers to respond to Requests for Evidence (RFEs), Mother Nature wins out. But as immigration lawyers, we can't
Liberty and Due Process for Immigrants in the SCOTUS Lineup, Part 2
In this special two-part Think Immigration blog, Mary Kramer, author of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: A Guide to Representing Foreign Born Defendants, is joined by Michael Vastine and Sui Chung, co-authors of AILA's upcoming book, Winning on Paper. Read Part 1 of the blog post here
Liberty and Due Process for Immigrants in the SCOTUS Lineup, Part 1
In this special two-part Think Immigration blog post, Mary Kramer, author of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: A Guide to Representing Foreign Born Defendants, is joined by Michael Vastine and Sui Chung, co-authors of AILA's upcoming book, Winning on Paper. The trio attended the oral a
New Edition of AILA Treatise on Immigration and Crimes Released
AILA released the seventh edition of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity: A Guide to Representing Foreign-Born Defendants by Mary E. Kramer; the book is a vital resource for any lawyer working with foreign national or naturalized citizen clients who have been charged with a crime.
RAISE Act Policies Won’t Lift Up America
Several years ago, I moved from Colorado to Connecticut. I had a job opportunity in Stamford, Connecticut and on my daughter's first birthday, we packed up and moved. Moving across the country was one of the hardest things I had ever done. We had no family or friends in Connecticut. For the first ye
Extraordinary Strength in Numbers: AILA Launches New Interest Group for ACES
AILA members - if you have an “ace“ of a client, you have a new tool in your toolbox: the ACES Interest Group. Previously a national committee focused on identifying trends in O, P, EB-1 and EB-2 adjudications, “ACES“ has been relaunched as an interest group that any AILA member with cl
Civil and Human Rights Organizations File Joint Complaint Against DHS on Behalf of Pregnant Women Detained by ICE
AILA joined six other organizations filing a joint complaint today concerning ICE’s treatment of pregnant women in detention, highlighting inhumane conditions, inadequate medical care and failure to implement agency policy limiting the detention of pregnant women.
AILA: Latest Travel Ban Will Weaken Not Strengthen America
AILA expressed concerns about the new travel ban, with AILA President Annaluisa Padilla noting the “changes…will add unnecessary steps to our already robust visa screening procedures and ultimately will block or slow the entry of legitimate business, family, and other travelers.”
Employment-Based Immigration in a “Hire American” Era
Although we are just eight months into the Trump administration, the U.S employment-based immigration landscape has already shifted dramatically. In recent months, business immigration attorneys have witnessed the suspension of premium processing for most H-1B petitions (though premium processing fi
AILA Releases Fourth Edition of Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court
AILA released the fourth edition of Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court by Bob Pauw, which provides expert guidance and a summary of case law for practitioners defending noncitizens who are subject to removal or who have been denied immigration benefits to which they are entitled.
Risk vs. Uncertainty: Advising and Advocating in the New Paradigm
While listening to a Freakonomics podcast recently focusing on John Urschel's abrupt decision to retire from the NFL., I was intrigued by the discussion of how we make decisions in the face of risk versus uncertainty. By way of explanation, the introduction to the piece asks how it is possible we ha
AILA and NALEO Educational Fund to Help Thousands of Eligible New Americans on National Citizenship Day
AILA is proud to sponsor the 11th Annual Citizenship Day on Saturday, September 23, 2017; the event, a partnership with the NALEO Educational Fund, brings together AILA attorneys across the country, along with other advocates, to provide assistance as lawful permanent residents seek to naturalize.
The New Front in the War on Immigrants: Administrative Action
A few weeks ago, I read an article proclaiming that the president is winning his “war“ on immigration. The conclusion of this opinion piece was that President Trump figured he could take a hard line on immigration that would placate his radical base because the vast majority of Americans - who