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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Think Immigration: I Wish People Understood that the U.S. Healthcare System Depends on Immigrants
As part of our “One Thing” series, Anthony Pawelski explains how “despite the vital role of immigrant healthcare workers, our immigration system is simply not designed to help us build the healthcare workforce we need, especially in medically underserved communities.”
Think Immigration: USCIS Policy Changes Open New Opportunities for Immigration Lawyers to Support Stateless People
In this blog post, AILA members Betsy Fisher and Samantha Sitterley describe a recently developed USCIS process to determine whether a person is stateless; an upcoming AILA Roundtable will delve further into how AILA members can support stateless clients.
Think Immigration: I Wish People Understood Their Sibling Is Not an “Immediate Relative”
As part of our “One Thing” series, Shannon Shepherd explains how outdated immigration laws keep families apart and that we need to urge Congress to build “an immigration law system that meets the needs of today’s America, not the one from decades ago.”
Think Immigration: My Initial Lifeline Was DACA
More than twelve years after DACA was first announced, AILA Policy and Practice Associate Blanca Hernández shares how the program was a lifeline for her and why she will continue to fight on behalf of all the DREAMers without a path to permanent status.
Think Immigration: Protecting Afghan Asylum Seekers Who are Not Considered “Allies”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Law Student Scholarship recipient Sanaa Talwasa describes why she believes USCIS should regard all Afghan asylum applicants as "allies" and consider them eligible for an expedited asylum application process and supportive policies.
Think Immigration: Chevron Is Dead! Thoughts on the Immigration Impact of Loper Bright Enterprises
AILA Members and immigration litigation experts Brian Green, Mark Stevens, Cyrus D. Mehta, and Stephen Yale-Loehr describe the potential impact of the SCOTUS decision in Loper Bright, noting that “the time to challenge federal agency policies and adverse decisions in court has arrived.”
AILA President: SCOTUS Overturning “Chevron” Doctrine Will Impact Immigration Cases
AILA President Kelli Stump responded to today’s SCOTUS ruling overturning the “Chevron” doctrine, noting that while “the Loper Bright and Relentless cases had nothing to do with immigration law” the decision “will have a significant impact on many immigration adjudications.”
AILA Executive Director Welcomes Administration’s Moves to Protect Haitians in the United States
AILA ED Ben Johnson welcomed news that the Biden Administration will redesignate and extend TPS for Haitian nationals and offer hardship work authorization for Haitian students, stating, “This is exactly what U.S. leadership should look like when confronting a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude.”
Think Immigration: I Wish People Understood the “Line” to Get in Can Stretch to Infinity
As part of our “One Thing” series, John Manley explains that the one thing he wished people understood about immigration is that because our immigration laws were last revised more than a generation ago, the proverbial wait to reunite with family can be longer than a human lifetime.
U.S. Court of Appeals Damages Lower Courts’ Power to Hold Executive Branch Accountable for Refusing to Issue Diversity Visas
AILA, JAC, and ILL respond to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia’s reversal of the lower court’s order in Gomez v. Biden (first known as Gomez v. Trump). Class counsel is evaluating possible next steps and will be in touch with class members shortly.
Think Immigration: For Pride Month, and Every Month of the Year – Gender Affirming Language in Immigration Court
On the AILA Blog: Think Immigration, the authors of a recent practice resource “Gender Affirming Language in Immigration Court” ask, and begin answering, a key question for all of us: how can we build a more gender-affirming courtroom together?
AILA President Responds to Supreme Court Decision in Department of State v. Muñoz
AILA President Kelli Stump responded to the Supreme Court ruling in Department of State v. Muñoz, which held that U.S. citizens do not have a fundamental liberty interest in their noncitizen spouses’ ability to come to the United States.
Think Immigration: I Wish People Understood that Immigration Court Is an Unlevel Playing Field Where You Face Life and Death Decisions
As part of our “One Thing” series, Evangeline Chan explains that the one thing she wished people understood about immigration is that immigration court is structurally different than other courts and we need an Article 1 independent immigration court to ensure justice.
Biden Announces Immigration Protections for Up to 550,000 Spouses and Children of U.S. Citizens
On the Immigration Impact blog, the American Immigration discusses the Biden Administration announcement of two major new policies to help streamline paths to legal status for certain long-time undocumented immigrants and highlights their potential impact.
AILA Applauds Announcement of Life-Changing Protections for Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens and Dreamers
AILA applauded the Biden Administration’s announcement of executive actions to provide protections and work authorization for some undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens and Dreamers with comments from President Kelli Stump and Executive Director Ben Johnson.
AILA President: Supreme Court Decision in Campos-Chaves Gives Government Free Pass and Undermines Due Process
AILA President Kelli Stump responded to today’s SCOTUS ruling in Campos-Chaves v. Garland, highlighting that “this is yet another example of why we so desperately need an independent immigration court in order to have any chance of fairness and justice.”
AILA Elects New Officers: Kelli Stump to Serve as President of Association
AILA installed Kelli Stump as the association’s president for the 2024-25 term and elected officers to its Executive Committee.
AILA Presents Stephen Yale-Loehr with the Robert Juceam Founders Award
AILA recognizes Stephen Yale-Loehr with the Robert Juceam Founders Award, which is given from time to time to the person or entity having the most substantial impact on the field of immigration law or policy.
Think Immigration: The Next Best Thing to Attending the AILA Law Journal Symposium Is Reading This Issue
AILA Law Journal Editor-in-Chief Cyrus Mehta runs through the pieces in this special edition of the journal which focuses on the AILA Law Journal’s first-ever symposium held this Spring on “Shaping Immigration Policy Through the Federal Courts.”
AILA Presents Robert H. Cohen and Leslie A. Holman with the 2024 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award
AILA recognizes Robert H. Cohen and Leslie A. Holman with the 2024 Susan D. Quarles AILA Service Excellence Award, in recognition of their outstanding service, over a period of years, in advancing the mission, development, and value of AILA for its members and the public it serves.
Legal and Policy Experts Discussed Asylum and Border Changes in Virtual Press Briefing
AILA held a virtual press briefing in which AILA ED Ben Johnson was joined by Greg Chen, Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, and Angela Kelley to discuss the recently issued Interim Final Rule (IFR) and Presidential Proclamation; an audio recording is available.
AILA Recognizes Gregory Siskind with the Inaugural Technology & Innovation Award
AILA recognizes Gregory Siskind with the inaugural Technology & Innovation Award, in acknowledgment of his pioneering work leveraging technology to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and improve client service.
Audio Recording of Press Briefing Held June 6, 2024, Regarding Implementation of Border IFR
Unofficial transcription and audio recording of AILA's press briefing held on June 6, 2024, regarding the implementation of the recent border IFR.
Think Immigration: A Small Window Into Immigration Detention: The Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman 2023 Annual Report
AILA’s Supervisory Policy and Practice Counsel Jen Ibañez Whitlock highlights the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) 2023 Annual Report noting that OIDO “is in a unique position to step in on behalf of detained individuals who are being overlooked or abused while in custody.”
AILA Recognizes Susan G. Roy with the 2024 Sam Williamson Mentor Award
AILA recognizes Susan G. Roy with the 2024 Sam Williamson Mentor Award, in acknowledgment of her outstanding efforts and excellent counsel to immigration attorneys by providing mentoring assistance.