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
Enforcement Off the Rails
There's been a lot of news coverage of the ICE raids, of the aggressive tactics used to arrest vulnerable families at their homes and to arrest children on the way to school. But what hasn't received as much coverage is the damage that raids victims endure after their arrest. Some remain trapped in
Adjusting Back to Real Life
It's been an adjustment getting back into the “real life“ of being home after being in Dilley for a month. I love my family. When I got home from volunteering at the family detention center in Dilley, the first thing I did was hug my wife and son. It wasn't just because I missed them, […
AILA: Senate Retread of Bad Legislation Would Undermine Public Safety and Harm Communities
AILA President William A. Stock urged lawmakers to oppose two bills, S. 3100 and S. 2193, noting, “At a time when our country desperately needs bipartisan leadership from Congress on immigration reform, these two bills are emblematic of why we still don’t have a workable system.”
AILA Welcomes Senate Introduction of the Secure the Northern Triangle Act
AILA welcomes the introduction in the Senate of the Secure the Northern Triangle Act, S.B. 3106, a bill designed to provide a plan to manage the humanitarian crisis in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras and to improve access to asylum and other protections for those fleeing violence in the region.
AILA: Divided Supreme Court Leaves Millions of Immigrant Families in Limbo
AILA responded to the Supreme Court’s 4-4 deadlock in United States v. Texas with AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson noting, “Though today’s decision is disappointing, we must remember that this is not the end of the road for these incredibly important programs.”
AILA Elects New Officers; William A. Stock to Serve as President of Association
AILA today elected new officers to its Executive Committee for the 2016-2017 term during AILA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV. William A. Stock was installed as AILA’s President.
Free Legal Consultations from Immigration Attorneys During AILA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas
On June 25, 2016, AILA and its partners will offer free immigration law consultations in Las Vegas, NV, at AILA’s sixth annual Pro Bono Clinic; dozens of immigration attorneys will be available to answer questions and assist immigrants with the naturalization process.
AILA Presents Kathleen M. Vannucci and Sandra Feist with the 2016 Advocacy Award
AILA will award Kathleen M. Vannucci of Chicago, IL, and Sandra Feist, of Minneapolis, MN, with the 2016 Advocacy Award for outstanding efforts in support of AILA’s legislative agenda.
AILA Presents Hiroko Kusuda with the 2016 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award
AILA will award Hiroko Kusuda of the Loyola Law Clinic in New Orleans, LA, with the 2016 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award for outstanding professor in the area of immigration law.
AILA Presents Mitra Ebadolahi and James Duff Lyall with the 2016 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA will award Mitra Ebadolahi and James Duff Lyall of the ACLU Border Litigation Project with the 2016 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
AILA Presents Karen T. Grisez with the 2016 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award
AILA will award Karen T. Grisez of Washington, DC, with the 2016 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.
AILA Presents the 2016 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award to the Mesa Verde Pro Bono Project and to Adam Rosser
AILA will award the 2016 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in pro bono representation in the immigration field to the Mesa Verde Pro Bono Project for services to detainees held at the Mesa Verde Detention Facility, and to Adam Rosser, for his work with Syrian refugees.
AILA Presents Agencia EFE reporter Paula Diaz with the 2016 Media Leadership Award
AILA will award Agencia EFE reporter Paula Diaz, with the 2016 Media Leadership Award in recognition of the individual whose efforts in the media most accurately depict immigration and immigrants.
AILA Presents Elanie Cintron with the 2016 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award
AILA will award Elanie Cintron, of Denver, CO, with the 2016 Joseph Minsky Young Lawyer Award for her outstanding contributions in the field of immigration and nationality law.
AILA Presents Howard “Sam” Myers, III, with the 2016 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA will award Howard “Sam” Myers, III, of Minneapolis, MN, with the 2016 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding service, over a period of years, in advancing the mission, development, and value of AILA for its members and the public it serves.
AILA Recognizes Alexandra Kennedy with the 2016 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA will recognize Alexandra Kennedy of Seattle, WA, with the 2016 Sam Williamson Mentor Award in acknowledgment of her outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.
AILA Presents Thomas Edward Moseley with the 2016 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award
AILA will award Thomas Edward Moseley, of Newark, NJ, with the 2016 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for excellence in litigation in the field of immigration law.
This Father’s Day
On Sunday, my kids will wake me up extra early and play “Las Mañanitas“ to wish me a Happy Father's Day while handing me handmade Father's Day cards. They'll give me extra hugs and tell me they love me. That's what's done on Father's Day in my house. It's nothing special, though it means a [&#
AILA Details Necessary Steps to Guarantee Due Process to Refugees and Asylum Seekers
In a statement highlighting the release of AILA’s new Due Process Denied report, AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted, “The response thus far from the Obama Administration to the refugee situation in Central America has been abysmal...We can, and must, do better than this.”
Ghosts in History?
May 31st marked the last day of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. To celebrate, the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego recruited other local bar associations for some lawyerly fun - reenacting Chy Lung v. Freeman, 92 U.S. 275 (1875), otherwise known as the “22 Lewd Chinese Women“ case. The As
In Search of Consistency
Ralph Waldo Emerson famously opined that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds…“ I have often opined (less famously) that, if Emerson is correct, there must be very few small-minded adjudicators at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Even in areas where U
AILA Statement on “The H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Examining the Effects on Americans’ Job Opportunities and Wages” Hearing
AILA submitted a statement regarding a Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest hearing entitled “The H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Examining the Effects on Americans’ Job Opportunities and Wages.”
Family Detention Takes Another Hit
I don't know about you, but some days it seems like family detention is a battle being fought on multiple fronts - the lawyerly equivalent of air, land, and sea. We have hundreds of pro bono attorneys and volunteers fighting nonstop to help families in the three facilities and helping families once
AILA Welcomes Torey Carter-Conneen as Deputy Director of Finance and Operations
Torey Carter-Conneen will join AILA as Deputy Director of Finance and Operations on June 6, 2016; he will serve as a critical member of the senior management team and will work with AILA’s elected leadership in implementing the strategic vision and planning for the organization.
A City on the Hill: San Francisco Protects the Rights of Refugee Children and their Families
On April 27, 2016, the Mayor of San Francisco approved $1.8 million for two years to fund the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative (SFILDC), a unique partnership of 13 legal service providers brought together to represent children and families on the surge dockets before the San Franc