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 Detention Gone Rogue
Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse. Now we are told that ICE agents grab mentally ill immigrants right from mental hospitals, ship them off to a Texas detention center without word to family or counsel, and deport them. Could ICE's behavior be any more horrific? The latest ICE outrage
Immigration Enforcement By The Numbers
I'm going to stop using the word “shocked“ to describe my reaction to ICE's dirty secrets. Frankly, it is tough to be surprised by the antics of an agency which administers a draconian a detention system in which 107 immigrant detainees have perished since 2003. But I must admit I am taken aba
Is Immigration Reform Next?
“We pushed back on the undue influence of special interests,“ President Obama said. “We didn't give in to mistrust or to cynicism or to fear. Instead, we proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things.“ The President was talking about the historic healthcare overhaul that
Deporting “Them” All–A Costly, Ineffective Solution
The Center for American Progress released a report detailing the actual cost of the only solution proposed by anti-immigration restrictionists-Mass Deportation. In “The Costs of Mass Deportation,“Marshal Fitz, Gebe Martinez and Madura Wijewardena have put together a realistic appraisal of the
Time for Obama and Congress To Get To Work on Immigration Reform
Last week's news that Senators Schumer and Graham met with President Obama about immigration reform would have been a whole lot better if they had all committed themselves to actually rolling up their sleeves and getting to the hard work of introducing a bill, rather than just talking about one. Tru
Ethics Rules, The Economy, and the Practice of Law
The New Jersey Supreme Court just sanctioned an Immigration Lawyerfor sharing fees with a paralegal. This is a good lesson to be reminded of, particularly in these difficult economic times. As attorneys we are bound by higher standards than regular business people in the context of business developm
The Immigration Malaise–Is the Mojo Gone?
Are we back in the 70's? As a child of the 70's myself, I have not so fond memories of the economy and the politics of that era. I am experiencing a sort of deja vu right now as I consider the possibility of immigration reform happening during this Congress. Now, don't get me wrong. […]
New York Attorney General Cuomo Gets Restitution For The Victims Of UPL
By Deborah Notkin, AILA Past President Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has successfully carried out a crusade against the fraud and deception of “immigration consultants“ who take advantage of unknowing and vulnerable immigrants. At a recent media conference, Cuomo indicated that his office is s
One for Good Guys–USCIS, Please Follow the Law Next Time
Bernie Wolfsdorf, our President during this tumultuous year is my Immigration Hero today. Last year, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision that would have terrible repercussions down the road for anyone applying for an Extraordinary Ability Petition (“EB-1“) at the California Serv
USCIS Q & A: Information for Adoptive Parents of Paroled Haitian Orphans
USCIS issued a list of questions and answers for adoptive parents of paroled Haitian orphans on obtaining lawful permanent residence (LPR) status and U.S. citizenship.
EPI’s Latest “Study” of H-1B and L Usage: The Danger of Unsupported Assumptions
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President The latest salvo in the war against H-1B workers and their employers (and this time, they've thrown L-1's in just for fun,) is the Economic Policy Institute's briefing paper by Ron Hira, released last week, which concludes that the practice of using H-1B
PERM: There Has To Be A Better Way
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President Our labor certification system requires a U.S. employer to undertake an individualized test of the local labor market for availability of qualified U.S. workers for a particular position before offering the position to a foreign national candidate. This co
An Update–The Line? What Line? The More Tragic Truth Emerges About Legal Immigration.
In October 2009, I wrote a blog talking about the disastrously long waiting lines for legal immigration to the United States. In Get In The Line? What Line? The Tragic Tale of Employment Based Immigrant Visa Delays, I stated that: This delay in legal, employment based immigration is a crisis for Ame
Why Is H-1B A Dirty Word?
By Eleanor Pelta, AILA First Vice President H-1B workers certainly seem to be under fire these days on many fronts. A new memo issued by USCIS on the employer-employee relationship imposes new extra-regulatory regulations on the types of activities in which H-1B workers can engage as well as the typ
What Happens When USCIS Breaks The Law?
Perhaps it has been too long since USCIS has truly been held accountable for its actions that it has become desensitized to the legal constraints under which it is permitted to operate. The USCIS is not given carte blanche to make whatever changes or interpretations it wants to long-standing immigra
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Steps up to the Plate on Combating the Unauthorized Practice of Law
By Deborah Notkin, AILA Past President Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has been combating the unauthorized practice of law for the last year and a half and has shut down many small outfits preying on immigrant communities. But on January 14, 2010, he took down the big fish by obtaining a restraining o
If You’re Not Outraged By ICE Detention Policies, You’re Not Paying Attention
Buried in the local news section of the New York Times on Wednesday was yet another disturbing report about the treatment of immigrant detainees by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. http://bit.ly/5df4fp. Detainees at the Varick Street Detention Center in Lower Manhattan reportedly went on a hu
I Was Wrong About The Gutierrez Bill—It’s Worse Than I Thought
By Deborah Notkin, AILA Past President In an analysis of the Gutierrez bill that gave the employment provisions for future flows of lesser skilled workers more credit than they deserve, I mistakenly assumed that hopeful workers from abroad would be linked up with the internet based program in Sectio
DHS Prepares Detention Center For Haitian Refugees
While the US government is valiantly leading the effort to bring disaster relief to the people of Haiti, back in the U.S. the Department of Homeland Security is quietly preparing for the possibility of an influx of unwelcome Haitian refugees by creating space at South Florida's main detention center
Rep. Steve King–A Modern Scrooge (Unreformed)
Sometimes, there are no words to describe someone's insensitivity. You just have to let them express it themselves. So, I give you the words of Reprsentative Steve King (R. Iowa), explaiing why TPS for Haitians is not necessary: Illegal immigrants from Haiti have no reason to fear deportation, but i
Martin Luther King’s Birthday
This week marks the 81st birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His heroic struggle for civil rights, a battle for which he paid with his life, is an inspiration to all Americans. While there has been progress since the 60s, there remains much work to be done. Last week, USCIS Director Ale
TPS for Hatians–Thank You Secretary Napolitano
This afternoon, the Department of Homeland Security announced that TPS would be available for Haitians, in the aftermath of this week's earthquake and the devastating storms that hit Haiti in the last 13 months. Thank You. It was the right thing to do, at the right time.
Secretary Napolitano’s Statement Announcing TPS for Haitians
Press Office U.S. Department of Homeland Security January 15, 2010 Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010 STATEMENT FROM HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO “As part of the Department's ongoing efforts to assist Haiti following Tuesday's devastating earthquake, I am announcing the design
Haiti–Natural Disaster, Human Tragedy. Its Time For TPS
Haiti, the poorest nation in our hemisphere, and the one of poorest nations in the world, was hit by yet another natural disaster-a 7.0 earthquake. This after a Haiti has endured four major storms in 2008, from which it has yet to recover. Tropical Storm Fay and hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike - po
Unaccountable Foxes Still Standing Guard Over The Same Inhumane Henhouse
by Lory Rosenberg, AILA Board of Governors member The emerging evidence of DHS's disregard and cover-up of immigrant deaths in detention is unconscionable and belongs on page one of everyone's human rights agenda. Yes, these deaths occurred 2+ years ago, but there has been no meaningful action taken