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 Commends Reintroduction of Family Reunification Bill
AILA commends Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) for reintroducing the Reuniting Families Act which would recognize the longstanding and cherished American value of family unity.
Students and Professors Fight for Families at Karnes Detention Center
Two weeks ago, six law students from the University of Houston Law Center's Immigration Clinic visited Karnes Detention Center. The students were Kate Chapman (3L), Ivonne Escobar (2L), Hellieth Pedroza Guzman (2L), Nekka Morah (2L), Medjine Desrosiers-Douyon (LLM), Mathilda El Hachem (LLM). Super
AILA: Federal Government Continues Unnecessarily Harsh Enforcement Tactics Harming Families and Communities
AILA President Victor Nieblas stated, “DHS enforcement policies involving women and children seeking asylum at our borders violate due process, repudiate our fundamental values of fairness and justice, and have sown widespread fear and turmoil in communities, schools, and churches nationwide.”
AILA Joins Brief Urging Supreme Court to Uphold Executive Branch’s Immigration Powers
AILA joined a multitude of stakeholders urging the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm the executive branch’s authority over immigration issues; oral arguments in the case, United States vs. Texas, are scheduled for April 18, 2016, and a decision is expected later in June 2016.
Chasing Away the Innovators: Not in America’s Interest
In last week's Republican debate, a significant challenge to American businesses was raised - the annual limit or “cap“ on the number of H-1B visas issued - a limit imposed twenty-five years ago, before the Internet and mobile phones and “Big Data“ were parts of everyday vocabulary. Thi
#0087
The Artesia Family Residential Center was thrown together in late June 2014 in the dark of night and in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Before the pro bono attorneys knew who or what was there, the first plane had already flown South, returning refugees who were streamlined through a farce of a
Benefits of Volunteering Go Beyond the Client
I spend most of my days steeped in PERM filings, H-1Bs and other thorny employment-based conundrums. I don't speak Spanish. The number of asylum cases I have handled can be counted on one hand. I have rarely represented clients in Immigration Court. And yet, last year, I offered to help the CARA Fam
AILA Applauds House Access to Counsel Legislation
In response to the introduction of the “Fair Day in Court for Kids Act” in the House of Representatives, AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted that the bill would, “stop the injustice of forcing vulnerable individuals to face deportation without counsel.”
What Asylum Law is About
I'm an asylum lawyer. Every day I fight for victims of persecution and torture from all over the world. I listen to their stories and I give them a voice. Perhaps some of the most compelling and most amazing stories of survival have been those of women - women from the Middle East fleeing the [&#
AILA Welcomes Introduction of Access to Counsel Legislation
AILA welcomed the introduction of the “Fair Day in Court for Kids Act of 2016” AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis noted, “This legislation would go a long way toward ensuring a measure of fairness and due process in the immigration system for the most vulnerable.”
Frustrations with H-1B Processing Delays Exacerbated by USCIS Stonewalling
AILA members and their clients are well aware of the lengthening processing times for several product lines at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) service centers. However, most pronounced is the extraordinary expansion of processing times for H-1B extensions at both the
New Opportunities to Move Forward in 2016
The American people are frustrated by the inability of Congress to take action and tackle the challenging, yet not insurmountable, task of reforming our immigration system and bringing it into the new century. That shouldn't be too much to ask now that we are already well over a decade into the 21st
U Visa: A Sliver of a Silver Lining for Victims of Violent Crimes
Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in October 2000. As the USCIS website explains, this legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic viole
What I Need to Hear
In a January 7, 2016, article in Fusion, Tim Rogers tells readers that the Obama Administration, “is on pace to deport more people than the sum of all 19 presidents who governed the United States from 1892-2000.“ Think about that for a second. This is the reality as we get ready for President
The Impact of Inaction on American Children
America is a nation of immigrants, and Congress has the critical job of making sure U.S. immigration laws are up to par. Yet, decade after decade, we are left with legislative scraps and executive orders on how to deal with the immigration system. That lack of concrete, comprehensive action directly
Defend, Don’t Target, the Vulnerable
On Christmas Eve, news leaked that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was going to begin raids to round up and deport Central American families. Over the holiday week, stakeholders, legislators, community leaders, and advocates pushed back hard on these planned raids and begged the Obama Admi
DHS Rule For Highly Skilled Immigrants: Helpful, But Timid
Yesterday morning began with a panicked message from a software engineer employed by one of my corporate clients. The engineer had “ported“ his green card application, joining my client after having been sponsored by a prior employer for permanent residence. The company was happy he had join
STEM OPT Rule: Coming, But Likely Delayed (Still Not Time To Panic, Though)
Back in October, I predicted that technology companies, universities, and foreign students would have to wait past a court-imposed February 12, 2016 deadline for a new rule that would continue the “STEM OPT Extension“ part of the Optional Practical Training Program. In order to meet the court
Ineffective and Discriminatory is not a Winning Combination
At the time of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, I was a teenager, completely unfazed by the events unfolding. My brother and I were both going to school in the U.K. and my older sister had already immigrated to the U.S. When the revolution peaked in late 1978, my parents were visiting my sister in Lo
AILA Commends Congress for Avoiding Riders Harming Refugees But Warns Against Discriminatory Visa Waiver Provisions in Funding Bill
AILA commends Congress for putting forward an omnibus appropriations bill that largely rejected efforts to force through anti-immigrant or anti-refugee proposals, but is deeply disappointed that changes to the Visa Waiver Program will discriminate against nationals of certain countries.
The Ultimate Act of Motherly Love
I recently visited the Karnes County Residential Center and the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, with the American Bar Association's Commission on Immigration and as a CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project volunteer. I have been going to jails and prisons for more than 25 yea
AILA: Congress Should Reject H.R. 158 Until Its Visa Waiver Program Changes Are More Carefully Weighed
AILA expressed concerns regarding the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Prevention Act, H.R. 158, and recommended that Congress vote “NO” on the bill unless modifications and clarifications are made.
AILA Condemns Bigoted, Discriminatory Rhetoric
AILA condemns any proposal that would treat someone differently based upon nationality or religion.
For Many, “Beautiful Honduras” Isn’t.
A couple of weeks ago, I read a piece in the Huffington Post quoting Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson saying that it's okay to deport kids to Honduras because it's “a beautiful country.“ Reading this ridiculous comment, I felt I had to share my knowledge of what is driving children to flee their
When the Narrative Shifts
I joined AILA's Executive Committee with quite a bit of media experience under my belt. One thing I've known for a long time is that the news cycle can turn on a dime and what you may have thought you'd be talking about with a reporter can change, sometimes mid-interview. As an example - AILA's [