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
Advancing Gender and Sex Equality in Asylum Protections
AILA Law Journal Author Elaine Wood shares a bit about her article entitled “Persecution Taxonomy: Adding Sex and Gender as Protected Grounds for Asylum“ in which she argues persuasively that revising the applicable language is now imperative to address contemporary concerns.
AILA Welcomes Stateside Visa Renewal Pilot Program
AILA welcomes the news from the Department of State that a Stateside Renewal Visa Pilot Program will be launched, initially limited to approximately 20,000 H-1B holders who meet specific eligibility requirements.
AILA ED: Harmful Texas Legislation Will Damage the State and Infringe on Federal Authority
As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs anti-immigrant bills into law this week, AILA ED Ben Johnson responded stating, “Once again, the Texas governor has signed legislation that attempts to transform how immigration laws and policy are enforced and stands in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution.”
GMS Monthly E-Bulletin, November 2023
The November 2023 GMS E-Bulletin highlights student visa options globally.
An Article I Immigration Court
Mimi Tsankov, President of the NAIJ, shares brief highlights of her article on the need for an independent Article I immigration court, featured in the Fall 2023 edition of the AILA Law Journal.
AILA Urges Focus on Actual Solutions for Border Security and Management
As negotiators reportedly consider significant changes to America’s asylum system as well as a nationwide expansion of expedited removal, AILA urges the Biden Administration to turn away from destructive proposals and stand by its original funding request.
AILA Law Journal: An Article I Immigration Court
AILA shares an article by Mimi Tsankov from the fall 2023 edition of the AILA Law Journal, which discusses how an Article I court would help fix the broken and ineffective immigration court system.
AILA Law Journal, Vol. 5, Number 2, October 2023
The October 2023 edition of the AILA Law Journal is now available.
What’s Inside the Fall 2023 Edition of the AILA Law Journal?
Editor-in-Chief Cyrus Mehta describes the topics and issues covered in the Fall 2023 edition of the AILA Law Journal, highlighting the set of timely and important articles; the digital edition is available free to AILA members.
End-of-Year Reflection on the State Department’s FY23 Visa Processing Achievements and What Needs to Be Done Next
AILA Senior Policy Associate Paul Stern shares an end-of-year reflection on how the State Department's visa processing went in Fiscal Year 2023, and lays out the work that remains, including how Congress can help address the delays and backlogs permanently.
Congress Should Focus Supplemental Funding Bill on Real Border Solutions
AILA and the Council share a statement urging Congress to focus supplemental funding discussions on solutions that would improve border processing as well as reduce backlogs elsewhere in the immigration system.
Let’s Put the H-2B Visa Category to Work!
Ally Bolour describes the H-2B visa program, which Congress enacted to meet the demand of U.S. businesses for temporary workers in non-agricultural occupations, and urges specific changes to make the program more effective and responsive to American employers' needs.
Potential Game-Changer Cases for Immigration Law at SCOTUS
AILA Members and litigation experts Brian Green and Stephen Yale-Loehr describe three SCOTUS cases that could have significant implications for the practice of immigration law; the legitimacy of the current U.S. immigration court system could be undermined depending on the rulings.
Congress Must Not Weaken Asylum System as Part of Budget Negotiations
AILA President Farshad Owji and Executive Director Ben Johnson urge that Senate negotiators reject the severe restrictions on America’s asylum system being entertained in exchange for a supplemental funding deal; the changes would be harmful and ineffective.
White House EAD Sprint Gives Immigrants in Need a Chance to Earn Their Dignity
NYC Chapter Chair Kushal Patel describes the whirlwind effort bringing together the White House, local government, non-profits, and volunteers to conduct a two-week EAD clinic in New York City to help migrants in shelters apply for work permits.
AILA Executive Director Responds to Plans from Trump Campaign and House Republicans’ Impeachment Efforts
AILA ED Ben Johnson called on the Republican party to reject the dark vision of America described in the Trump Campaign’s plans and urged Congress to “do what only they can do” to “ensure America’s immigration system serves the public good, upholds the law, and protects the nation’s prosperity.”
AILA Deeply Troubled by Hate and Violence, Calls for Protections and Positive Change
AILA issued a statement regarding its deep concern at the rise in hate and violence, urging immediate action to ensure the protection and safety of those who are impacted by the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and calling on Americans to “focus on our common humanity, not our differences.”
AILA Executive Director: Anti-Immigrant Provisions Tied to Necessary Funding Must Not Succeed
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the extreme anti-immigrant provisions espoused by Senate Republicans that were reported on today; the plan “takes a page out of the far-right House bill, H.R. 2, by functionally closing the door to asylum seekers.”
Welcome to Your Guide to PERM
Alexander Dgebuadze, longtime editor and author for AILA's Guide to PERM Labor Certification, offers insights into how things have changed over the years and what the latest PERM updates mean for you and your clients.
Celebrating All of Our Members This Pro Bono Week!
AILA Pro Bono Committee Member Jena Decker-Xu reflects on the importance of pro bono, using the AC pro bono clinic as one example of how “By using your legal expertise, and giving of your time, you can literally save lives, keep families together, help someone become eligible to vote, and so much mo
AILA President Welcomes Addition of Ecuador to Eligible Countries for Family Reunification Parole Process
AILA President Farshad Owji welcomed the news that Ecuador would be added to the list of countries eligible for Family Reunification Parole (FRP) noting it “will allow qualified individuals residing in Ecuador to reunite with their U.S. citizen and legal resident family members more quickly.”
Decoding Administrative Processing Delays
Dominique Pando Bucci gives some insights into what the “administrative processing“ term means for those in the queue at the Department of State; a webinar on October 12, 2023 will dive into the issue further for interested AILA members.
AILA Calls on Biden Administration to Help Those Displaced By Recent Violence in Middle East
AILA calls on the Biden Administration to move immediately to support the safety of all people affected by the recent violence in the Middle East, urging among other things, “deferred action, humanitarian parole, or Temporary Protected Status for those already in the United States.”
The Mysteries of PERM, Explained
AILA member Vincent Lau describes the importance of knowing the history and context of the PERM process as practitioners become familiar with using the new ETA Form 9089.
Information Overload: A Ride Aboard the USCIS Processing Times Roller Coaster
AILA Policy Associate Paul Stern describes the rollercoaster clients and attorneys find themselves on as they try to determine where their application stands given crisis-level delays and backlogs at USCIS.