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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Immigration 101 in Nursery Rhyme
Written by: Mo Goldman, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee Watching the Florida Republican Primary Debates this week again demonstrated that these final four candidates simply refuse to understand the dynamics of our draconian immigration system. Perhaps they just don't understand the complexity of it a
Trust Matters
Written by: Tony Weigel, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee I have participated in several meetings with Congressional staffers about immigration policy since 2006. I have had the same thoughts and questions about these interactions every time. I hoped to make some minimal impact, naïve as that may see
Pelta’s Top Five (plus) Suggestions for USCIS
I'm an inveterate list maker. I make lists of everything, on everything. Slips of paper containing household to-do's, a notebook I carry around with me with an office to-do list, a separate notebook for AILA to-do's. I even make to-do lists for my husband and children, which I am confident they grea
Senator Grassley: The Puppetmaster?
Over the past few days the lyrics of an old classic song by Buffalo Springfield have been running through my head: “There's something happening here, What it is ain't exactly clear . . .“ The reason I can't seem to shake this tune loose has to do with a series of articles published last week
My Friday Night CNN Debate With Kris Kobach
Kris Kobach, anti-immigrant restrictionist lawyer and Kansas Secretary of State, claims to know something about immigration law, but in our Friday night CNN debate he was able to do little more than throw around phrases like “backdoor amnesty“ and “illegal aliens“. The subtext of these
New Immigration Rule Will Keep American Families Safe and Together
Today the Administration will announce a proposed rule change that will save countless American families from the trauma of separation and, at the same time, make America safer. The proposed rule change is outlined in this morning's New York Times. Under the twisted immigration law the husband or wi
The Holy Innocents
By Lori Chesser, AILA Media Committee In the Catholic tradition, December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents. These are the babies that were killed by Herod's soldiers when he learned of the birth of a new “king“ in Bethlehem. Jesus escaped because an angel came to Joseph in a dream telling
Year End Immigration Roundup And What To Expect In 2012
When it comes to immigration, 2011 will be remembered as the year Alabama enacted HB56, the most mean spirited state immigration law in U.S. history. It targets Latinos and other people of color and effectively mandates racial profiling by state law enforcement agents. Since it went into effect last
A Holiday Tweet
It's a little unnerving when the Grinch tweets you just before Christmas. It started Wednesday when I read a shocking article in the New York Times about an undocumented immigrant who suffers from a life threatening kidney disease and requires dialysis. Because of a bizarre legal anomaly the govern
Message to USCIS: Support Your Local (and National) Postal Service
In a little-known practice that has been in place for a number of years, if an application is sent to any of the addresses for the Vermont Service Center by U.S. Postal Service, the postal service does not deliver it to the VSC, but rather, holds the application at a postal facility for the VSC [
21st Century America – or 18th Century Poland?
Two weeks ago, the immigration world was abuzz due to the bipartisan support received for a narrow, extremely technical fix to employment- and family-based immigration quotas. We learned yesterday, however, that one senator has blocked the bill from coming to a vote without substantial changes, mak
The US Department of Justice Weighs In On Sheriff Joe Arpaio
It's fortuitous that the Republicans scheduled a debate for tonight. In light of the findings released today by the U.S. Department of Justice, they'll all have an opportunity to weigh in on whether Arizona's Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a tough law-and-order sheriff whose famous crusade ag
Newt Gingrich’s Immigration Plan: The Devil Is In The Details
I'd like to think that Newt Gingrich, the current GOP front runner, has come out squarely in favor of a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Not because I support his presidential candidacy, but because rejection of mass deportation as a solution to America'
It’s All About Enforcement
Enforcement. It is the current catch-word of the presidential race. I hear it every day. Governor Perry said it in last night's debate. “I believe in enforcement. We must enforce the laws as they are on the books.“ I agree with him. Bet you never thought you'd hear me say that. But yes, I agre
Iowa Poll Shows Likely Caucus-Goers Favor Immigration Solutions, Not Pat Sound Bites
Remember Pete Wilson? JD Hayworth? Tom Tancredo? That's what I thought. These guys are a few of the politicians whose anti-immigrant agenda played a big part in the demise of their political fortunes. And the list continues to grow. Just ask former Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, author of A
The Definition of Insanity
It happened again yesterday. A foreign worker—this time from Honda—was arrested in Alabama and cited under the state's new immigration law. Sound familiar? It should. The same thing happened a couple of weeks ago to Detlev Hager, a German executive from Mercedes-Benz, who was in Alabama to check on
Doesn’t America Get It? High-Skilled Talent Helps Us!
Written by: Warren Leiden, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee One month ago, barely three weeks into the new federal fiscal year, the entire annual quota of temporary visas specially set aside for foreign national professionals with advanced degrees (at least a Master's) was used up. And as of November 2
The Cost Of Doing Business Under Alabama’s Immigration Law
You can't make this stuff up. A foreign executive from Mercedes-Benz gets arrested in Alabama and charged criminally under the state's new immigration law. Was he alien smuggling? Drug trafficking? Committing a violent crime? Nope. He left his visa in his hotel room. Under Alabama's new immigration
The Utah Compact, One Year Later
Written by: Peter Ashman, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee Recently in Salt Lake City, Utah, a diverse group of government and business leaders held a press conference to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Utah Compact. The compact was the result of a collaboration of business, religious and e
Prosecutorial Discretion – It isn’t that hard
Written by: Palma Yanni, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee On November 10, 2011, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (AIC) issued a report chronicling the implementation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton's June 17, 2011
Undone By His Politics Of Hate: The Political Demise of State Senator Russell Pearce
Certain politicians owe soon-to-be former Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce a big “Thank You.“ He just single handedly proved that the politics of hate, in particular the politics of hating Latino immigrants, is a sure ticket to the dustbin of history. A year out from the 2012 elections the
Making it Easier for New Immigrant Entrepreneurs – Changes in Policy and Law Can Facilitate Job Creation in the U.S.
Written By: Deborah Notkin, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee For many years, I have received inquiries from foreign students attending U.S. universities about post-graduation employment visa options. What is strikingly different this year is that many students are not interested in visas to fit prospec
USCIS Must Embrace Job Creating Immigrants
By David Leopold and Eleanor Pelta You know that your country's immigration system is really dysfunctional when . . . a job-creating entrepreneur must be the subject of a national news story in order to get his visa approved. ABC News reported this week that Amit Aharoni, an Israeli national and a g
Something’s Happening Here…
Written by: Tony Weigel, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee What it “is“ is becoming more clear. We pro-immigration advocates have a lot of work to do. Our country has had an ongoing policy war over immigration since its inception. This history includes both positive and negative periods, each infl
Have We Hit Rock Bottom?
Written by: Mo Goldman, AILA Media-Advocacy Committee October 18, 2011: A day that will live in U.S. immigration infamy. ICE proudly boasts the news that in Fiscal Year 2011 the U.S. deported a record number of individuals (396,906). On PBS Frontline: Lost in Detention, Maria Hinojosa exposes the d