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
Think Immigration: Ten Lessons for Autism Acceptance Month and the Rest of the Year!
AILA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Member Lilia Alcaraz and Chair Allen Orr share ten essential insights that underscore the importance of Autism Acceptance Month and urge readers to use this knowledge year-round.
Think Immigration: How the Immigration Court System Pits Immigration Lawyers Against Each Other for the “Good of Clients”
AILA Ethics Committee Chair Cyrus Mehta explains how under Matter of Lozada, immigration attorneys, unlike any other type of lawyer, must file a bar complaint in order to help a client seek to reopen a case based on ineffective representation and why AILA urges that requirement be removed.
AILA President Welcomes Biden Administration’s Moves on Ethiopian TPS as well as DED and Special Student Relief for Palestinian Nationals
AILA President Farshad Owji responded to the Biden Administration’s recent actions to extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ethiopia and to introduce additional measures for certain Palestinian nationals.
Think Immigration: Judge Dolly Gee Upholds Necessary Protections of Migrant Children in Recent Court Ruling
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Chair Evangeline Chan highlights the recent ruling by Judge Dolly Gee who again reminds the government that the Flores Settlement binds them to ensure that children are provided with a certain standard of care when detained.
AILA: Automatic Extension of Work Permits Will Help American Economy, Workers, and Families
AILA Senior Director of Government Relations Sharvari Dalal-Dheini welcomed the news that USCIS will modify the period of automatic extensions of work permits for up to 540 days; this change was one of the ten policy recommendations AILA recently made to the Biden Administration.
Think Immigration: Texas-Sized Whiplash
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Amy Grenier describes why many are feeling legal whiplash regarding the controversial anti-immigrant Texas state law SB 4 and its implementation; she explains where the law stands, the factors involved, and potential next steps.
Think Immigration: No Matter Where You Are, You Can Make a Difference During National Day of Action!
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson urges members to share their insights with legislators, whether they are in D.C. for National Day of Action, or through in-district visits, writing that the stories shared “can be what brings a complicated issue or idea home to a member of Congress.”
AILA Executive Director: SCOTUS Wrong to Allow TX SB4 Implementation
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the U.S. Supreme Court allowing Texas to implement SB.4, saying it "threatens to create chaos."
AILA Executive Director Urges Biden Administration to Offer Haitians Safety in this Time of Turmoil
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson urged the Biden Administration to take immediate action as Haiti faces immense challenges and use “all of the tools in the executive branch’s toolbox” to help offer security and safety to those affected, including extending and redesignating TPS for Haitians.
Think Immigration: A Look Inside DHS’ Family Expedited Removal Management Program
AILA Law Student Member Araceli Garcia describes how University of Texas Law students were able to help families in the expedited removal program and how the expansion of the FERM program has meant the need for counsel has only grown.
AILA Executive Director Responds to Release of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the release of the FY2025 budget from the Biden Administration, noting that in addition to what is included, “more funds could and should also be directed to improve the entire immigration system.”
GMS E-Bulletin, March 2024
The March 2024 GMS E-Bulletin presents a regional spotlight highlighting the East Asia region.
Think Immigration: Customer Service Chronicles: Tracking USCIS’s Implementation of AILA’s 2021 Recommendations
AILA’s Paul Stern and Jonathan Valdez share insights into the new policy brief they developed to track the status of AILA’s 2021 recommendations for the Biden Administration to improve USCIS customer service, the impact on members and their clients, and the work remaining to be done.
Think Immigration: Magic Mushrooms and Psychedelics are Still a Bad Trip for U.S. Immigration Purposes
AILA member W. Scott Railton discusses the potential consequences of possession or use of “magic mushrooms” for foreign nationals, writing that “Magic mushrooms and psychedelics are moving to the mainstream in some places, but the immigration laws are unlikely to catch up any time soon.”
AILA Releases New Edition of Immigration and Crimes Resource
AILA proudly releases the 10th edition of Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity; AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson noted the resource is “packed full of analysis” and is “vital for anyone whose practice touches on the intersection of immigration and criminal law.”
Think Immigration: Add that to the Tab – Rising Costs to Tour the United States
The new fee schedule, taking effect April 1, 2024, will have an impact on visas and applications, including those for musicians and artists as Anthony Pawelski shares in this blog post for Think Immigration in which he highlights concerns about the chilling effect higher fees may have.
Think Immigration: The New Beneficiary-Centric H-1B Registration Process – Good News for Employees, Mixed Bag for Employers
AILA Supervisory Policy and Practice Counsel Michael Turansick breaks down the new H-1B visa registration process which has been significantly updated as USCIS tries to ensure the integrity of the system and a level playing field.
House Republicans Vote to Impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary
AILA’s Ben Johnson and the American Immigration Council’s Jeremy Robbins responded to the vote held February 13, in which House Republicans voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a vote of 214-213 following a failed attempt last week.
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
AILA member Maurice “Mo“ Goldman shares insights into why it feels the country is moving away from valuing its history as a “nation of immigrants“ and emphasizes the need for immigration attorneys and their clients to share their stories and shift the narrative.
25 Years Ago the State Department Recognized How Visa Consul and Immigration Counsel Can Work Together in the Visa Application Process
AILA member Liam Schwartz reflects on Department of State cable 99 State 21138 which was spearheaded by the late Stephen K. Fischel; the cable highlights the importance to the visa application process of the working relationship between consular officers and immigration attorneys.
AILA Executive Committee Shares Open Letter Regarding Efforts to Impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
As the House Republican majority moves forward with their efforts to impeach the Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the Executive Committee of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) shared the following open letter.
AILA Executive Director Responds to Release of Bipartisan Senate Bill
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson responded to the newly released bill text from the bipartisan group of Senators negotiating the “Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024.”
The Mandatory Detention of Unlawful Entrants Seeking Asylum in the United States and the Due Process Protection
AILA Law Journal author Jim Nzoguma Mayua shares more about his article in the Fall 2023 edition of the journal, in which he discusses the legal uncertainty stemming from Supreme Court rulings denying asylum seekers due process protection.
AILA Responds to New Biden Administration Rules on Fees and H-1B Registration Process
AILA responded to the advance copies shared publicly by the Biden Administration regarding U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fees and a revised H-1B visa registration process with insights from President Farshad Owji and Dir of Gov’t Relations Shev Dalal-Dheini.
Ninth Edition of AILA’s Invaluable Asylum Primer Released
Ben Johnson on the 9th edition of AILA’s Asylum Primer: A Practical Guide to U.S. Asylum Law and Procedure by Dree K. Collopy: “This book will help practitioners, those new to the area of practice as well as long-time asylum attorneys, do the best job possible for their vulnerable clients.”