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
We Need Humane Solutions, Not Harmful Legislation
AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Woorod Atiyat urges Congress to turn away from harmful legislation and instead “rise to its responsibility and serve as protectors of the immigrant community and our country's values of fairness and justice.“
Free and Freeing: AILA’s Law Student Membership
AILA member Marisabel Alonso encourages all current law students interested in immigration law to take advantage of the many benefits of AILA's free law student membership and how those benefits can help them during law school and beyond as they become practitioners.
A Call to Action on International Women’s Day 2023
Karen Hill, co-leader of AILA's Women in Immigration Law Interest Group (WMIG) shares information about International Women's Day and urges everyone to find ways to #EmbraceEquity today; AILA members can join the WMIG and other listservs through myAILA.
USCIS’ Updated CSPA Guidance and Transferring Underlying Basis
AILA member Peter Choi urges USCIS to expand on its recent CSPA guidance and similarly update its guidance on transfer-of-underlying-basis requests, which would help many families and serve the goals stated in USCIS' FYs 2023-2026 Strategic Plan.
AILA Urges the Biden Administration to Reject the Return of Family Detention and Calls for the Adoption of Humane and Effective Alternatives
AILA expressed grave concern at the possibility the Biden Administration may resume family detention; AILA urges President Biden to stand by the previous decision to end family detention and reject policies that have been proven to have devastating consequences on children and families.
An Under-Resourced Obama-Era Refugee and Parole Program Could Be A Safe and Legal Pathway Too
Linda Evarts and Jen Whitlock urge the Biden Administration to review the Obama-era Central American Minors (CAM) parole program as it expands the use of parole to other populations, noting the lack of resources and attention to the implementation of the program has kept families separated.
Facing Challenges: DACAmented and Undocumented Attorneys Practice Immigration Law in Liminality
AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship recipient Gerardo Villegas Juarez knows firsthand the liminality experienced by DACA recipients, writing “DACA remains a temporary solution…DACA opens the door but also tethers you to the prospect of removal.“
America’s Industrial Cities Can Benefit from the Start-Up Visa
AILA member Aaron Kochenderfer highlights the way that a start-up visa might help improve the American economy, particularly in Rust Belt cities and nearby communities, harnessing the power of innovation to increase shared prosperity.
Immigrants Can Get the Job Done, If America Lets Them
AILA members Roujin Mozaffarimehr and Ally Bolour urge the Biden administration and Congress to recognize the cumbersome, arbitrary, and uncertain context in which employers try to access H-2B visas and some clear ways the process could be improved to address workforce needs.
Federal Litigation as a Tool to Fight Unjust L-1 Denials
AILA member Dominique Pando Bucci describes unreasonable denials of L-1s and why one denial of an L-1 intracompany transferee petition filed on behalf of a small business led her to file and win her first federal litigation case. I recently took on, and won, a federal court case challenging an unjus
Resiliency in the Face of Hostile Immigration Policies
AILA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Law Student Scholarship recipient Anthony Wong urges fellow AILA members to develop resiliency in order to face future challenges to the immigration law community.
The Importance of Filing Proper Tax Returns for Immigration Purposes
AILA member Kara Hart shares why she advises people seeking immigration benefits to seek qualified help to ensure they file taxes correctly, noting that when immigration officials review tax returns, they may be asking several key questions.
AILA Offers Border Solutions Ahead of First Immigration-Related Hearing in the 118th Congress
AILA addresses Congress and urges it to take swift action to update our nation’s immigration system at the border and beyond in advance of a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the southern border.
Some Basics of Business Immigration to the U.S. in 2023
AILA member Stanislav Shamayev walks through some of the basics of business immigration to the U.S., writing that “American immigration law is complex, to put it mildly, but a good immigration attorney can talk through your options and set you up for success.“
New Policy Aims to Expand Noncitizen Worker Protections After Historical Discrimination
In this blog post, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Law Student Scholarship recipient Taylor Flores describes the historical discrimination faced by immigrant workers and the new policy from the Biden administration which aims to expand noncitizen worker protections.
Class Action Filed Against USCIS for Extreme Processing Delays that Leave American Families Stranded
AILA amplifies the filing of a federal class action lawsuit in Seattle against USCIS challenging bureaucratic logjams that have left families in a multi-year limbo as thousands of spouses of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents wait for their unlawful presence waivers to be processed.
The Maggio Law Student Fellowship Can Open Up a New World for You
AILA President Jeremy McKinney urges law students interested in immigration law practice to apply for the Michael Maggio Immigrants' Rights Summer Fellowship Program and highlights six examples of recent fellows as a way to inspire the next generation of law students. Deadline is Feb 10, 2023.
The Toll of Delays – USCIS Allows Nearly 600% Increase in I-601A Waiver Processing Times
Using data from AILA member case examples, AILA Liaison Coordinator Jonathan Valdez describes the ripple effect of USCIS' excessive delay in I-601A processing, noting that the impact “is as profound as it is immeasurable,“ and urging the implementation of reforms that improve processing times
T Nonimmigrant Visas: An Opportunity to Provide a Path Forward
AILA members Helen Tarokic and Jesse Bless describe the current status of the T nonimmigrant visa, created by Congress to protect trafficking victims, noting that given recent updates to the USCIS Policy Manual more asylum and U-visa applicants may be eligible for this often-overlooked visa.
Biden Administration Expands Legal Pathways with Parole Strategy but Deeply Erodes U.S. Commitment to Asylum Protection
AILA responds to an announcement from President Biden that expands humanitarian parole programs for migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba, and Haiti but severely restricts asylum access, including expanding Title 42, to migrants from those countries.
AILA Condemns SCOTUS Ruling Extending Title 42 Border Expulsion Policy
AILA condemns the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upholds Title 42, a public health expulsion order, for now, and shares recommendations for more fair and efficient border solutions.
New Edition of Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook Released by AILA
The 18th edition of Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook is now available, filled with expert guidance to help readers navigate the labyrinthine U.S. immigration laws.
The “Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability” Explained
In a video blog post, AILA Law Journal authors Sabrina Damast and Eric Lee explain what the “Doctrine of Consular Nonreviewability“ is, why it is important to immigration lawyers, and the current state of the doctrine in federal court litigation.
U.S. Government Detention of Asylum Seekers Flouts International Human Rights Law
AILA Law Journal authors Curtis F.J. Doebbler and Elisa Fornalé shared some insights from their recent article, “International Human Rights Law and the Detention of Asylum Seekers“ which focused on the U.S. practice of detaining asylum seekers and relevant international human rights obligation
AILA President Applauds the Signing and Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act
AILA President Jeremy McKinney applauds the signing and passage of the Respect for Marriage Act and noted, “Many mixed-nationality couples in the U.S. have obtained life-altering immigration benefits due to the constitutional right to marriage equality, and now those rights are here to stay.”