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
The H-1B Visa Program: The Dial-up Connection to the High-speed Wireless World
There are far too many moments when the dysfunction of our outdated immigration system becomes crystal clear. One of those moments occurred this week when U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had received a record number of H-1B visa petitions during the five-day fili
Looking Back and Looking Forward
In 2013, there was great momentum for immigration reform. The Senate had already passed its immigration bill, and pressure was being put to bear on the House to do the same. There was a sense of hope and great support for immigration reform nationwide. Pro-immigration reform blog posts and opinion p
AILA: Despite Avalanche of H-1B Petitions, Outdated Cap Means American Economy is Still Missing Out
AILA President Victor Nieblas Pradis commented on the H-1B visa cap being reached and that a lottery will be held again noting, “Each petition not selected is a business need unfulfilled and a growth opportunity that is delayed or thwarted.”
Preparing for Battle
In the days following the opening of the Artesia detention center, I remember reading in awe on Facebook about the lawyers that were driving out and banging on the gates, demanding to be let in, insisting these mothers and children be allowed access to counsel. I followed, in the news, through socia
At Long Last, Volunteering at Dilley
It was a trip nearly eight months in the making, my sojourn to Dilley. As Chapter Chair in summer 2014, I heard the requests for volunteers and donations. I focused on getting the word out and supporting members who volunteered. As a business and family immigration lawyer with little asylum law expe
One Year Later - Immigrants’ Rights Groups Providing Pro Bono Legal Services to Families Detained in Texas Continue Vital Work
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project marked its one-year anniversary and highlighted the generosity of more than 700 volunteers who combined donated more than $6.75 million in pro bono work in the past year helping nearly 8,000 families start the process of seeking asylum.
CARA – One Year Later
It's hard to believe that tomorrow will mark a year since the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project officially launched. Four seasons have passed, during which we have worked tirelessly to end family detention, urging the Obama administration to stop detaining thousands of children and their mother
Obama Administration Continues to Detain Traumatized Mothers and Children Who Fled Violence
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project filed a formal complaint and called for a comprehensive investigation into the psychological and physiological impact that family detention is having on children and mothers, as well as the due process violations that occur as a result.
ICE Fights to Detain and Deport Teenage Girl Despite Stay
Kimberly was just 17 when she went in front of an Atlanta immigration judge and was told she would be deported. There was no legal orientation. No one asked her why she left her native Honduras or whether she was afraid to be sent back there. Even the lawyer her family hired didn't tell her […
H.R. 4731 Does Anything but Restore Integrity
On Wednesday, at a time when we are facing a global refugee crisis, H.R. 4731, “The Refugee Program Integrity Restoration Act“ passed out of committee in the House of Representatives with a vote of 18-9. Unfortunately, this bill does anything but restore integrity. I suppose it depends on how
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.
How the Years Add Up
Imagine coming to the United States to seek asylum and having to wait four years just for an interview to decide whether you get to move forward with your claim. Four years. In most jurisdictions, asylum applicants are having to do just that: wait years for an interview, when before 2013, asylum app
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.”
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
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.
#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
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.”
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
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
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