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
The Serious Flaw in the Biden Administration’s New Border Asylum Adjudication System
In this blog post, three AILA law professor members dive into the impact of rushed timelines as the Biden administration attempts to streamline the asylum process at the border, but which may make it impossible for asylum seekers to provide corroborating evidence of persecution within the deadlines.
Helping Afghan Evacuees Takes Persistence
AILA member Jennifer Atkinson describes the way people came together to help one family from Afghanistan after a six-year-old boy was shot and injured at the airport during the evacuations last year; his family recently safely arrived in the U.S. and his story shows how important passing the Afghan
AILA President Responds to Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Remand of DACA Litigation
AILA President Jeremy McKinney reviewed the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals remand of the State of Texas v. USA litigation and noted, “Congress must act immediately … Protecting Dreamers permanently is right, true to America's values, and ultimately benefits all of us."
The Healthcare Crisis and Smart Immigration Solution that Congress Needed to Hear About
AILA member Sarah Peterson testified before Congress recently about the need for immigration reform to help immigrant healthcare workers and also benefit U.S. communities that desperately need trained doctors and nurses; in this blog post she describes two pieces of legislation that could make a rea
Opening a Wider World on Citizenship Day
AILA Senior Pro Bono Associate Erin Lynum writes about the upcoming 17th AILA Citizenship Day and how naturalization opens a wider world; AILA is proud to partner with NALEO Educational Fund and NPNA again for this inspiring effort.
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and NPNA — in Conjunction with Telemundo Stations — Partner for the 17th AILA Citizenship Day with In-Person and Virtual
AILA, NALEO Educational Fund, and NPNA are proud to co-host the 17th AILA Citizenship Day, taking place in person and virtually on and in the lead up to National Citizenship Day on Saturday, September 17, 2022, bringing together expert volunteers to help lawful permanent residents naturalize.
New Public Charge Regulation Welcome, and More Welcoming
AILA President Jeremy McKinney and American Immigration Council Managing Director of Programs Jorge Loweree respond to the new public charge regulations published today by the Biden Administration.
AILA: Massive Effort by USCIS to Issue Visas Shows Need for Congressional Investment to Catch Up Fully with Backlogs
AILA commends USCIS and DOS for the successful effort to process employment-based visas reflected in the October Visa Bulletin but despite that, many individuals “are now faced with visa retrogression and others, particularly those in the family backlog, have seen delays get even worse.”
New Edition of Waivers Resource Released by AILA
The fourth edition of The Waivers Book: Strategies for Overcoming Inadmissibility, Removability, and Other Barriers to Immigration Benefits is now available; the new edition has been expanded to cover asking the government to exercise its waiver-like discretion to remove obstacles as well.
New Documentary Exposes the Realities of Life in Afghanistan for Women
Inspired by a new documentary about the issue, AILA member Mona Shah and co-authors Sarah Salarano and Shaun Chaudhry describe the terrible situation facing women and girls in Afghanistan and urge all of us to become informed and to take action.
Cascading Errors of a Wrong Address
AILA Practice and Policy Counsel Amy Grenier highlights the due process concerns that arise when CBP enters incorrect addresses for vulnerable migrants, sending vital paperwork astray and undermining the migrants' chances to successfully request asylum and protection.
Biden Administration Moves to Shore Up DACA Protections but Congress Needs to Act
AILA and the American Immigration Council welcomed newly published regulations that codify the DACA program. AILA President Jeremy McKinney noted, "These regulations are essential, but laws are for lasting change," and called on Congress to "pass legislation permanently protecting all Dreamers."
Afghan Allies Still Waiting for America’s Help One Year Later
As we recognize the one-year anniversary of Kabul's fall, Mahsa Khanbabai, Parastoo Zahedi, and Spojmie Nasiri highlight efforts of the AILA Afghan Taskforce and why the Afghan Adjustment Act is so important for the U.S. to live up to its promises to protect our allies.
AILA Urges Swift Passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act
AILA welcomes the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral “Afghan Adjustment Act” which would help Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover find safety and security in the United States. This bill enables the United States to keep its promises to the Afghans who served alongside American troops.
Why We’re Celebrating the Senate’s Passage of Legislation Without Immigration
AILA's Greg Chen describes the Senate passage of the budget reconciliation bill and the fight against the many anti-immigrant amendments offered.
You’d Think the Threat of Death Would Be Enough
In this blog post, AILA President Jeremy McKinney describes a recent win for his client in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that will help protect asylum seekers and how this case only emphasizes why we need an independent immigration court, free from politicization.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association Urges Senators to Do No Harm to Immigrants
AILA urges senators to keep the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” focused on deficit reduction, the climate crisis, and prescription drug prices, and to vote no on any amendments that would exclude or harm immigrant communities and that would function as “poison pills” killing the entire bill.
AILA President Jeremy McKinney Responds to SCOTUS Move Keeping ICE Priorities On Hold
In this statement, AILA President Jeremy McKinney responds to the U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 vote to maintain a nationwide injunction blocking the Biden Administration from setting prosecutorial discretion policies for ICE. The court also decided to take up the case in December.
Abuse in ICE Detention Continues and So Does the Funding for It
AILA Policy Counsel Jen Whitlock describes the reports and examples of harmful, unnecessary, and wasteful ICE detention and urges readers to take action and tell Congress to reduce ICE detention bed funding for Fiscal Year 2023.
Why Supporting “Documented Dreamers” Is A Good Idea
AILA member Aaron Kochenderfer explains the plight of “Documented Dreamers“ who are children of employment-based visa holders waiting for permanent residency and urges support of the America's Children Act of 2021 to alleviate their uncertainty.
AILA’s Immigration Law Practice and Procedure Manual: A “Cookbook” of Essential Practice Materials: Second Edition Now Shipping!
The 2nd edition of AILA’s Immigration Law Practice and Procedure Manual: A “Cookbook” of Essential Practice Materials is now available, providing expanded “thorough, how-to guidance on preparing and filing many of the more common immigration applications and petitions.”
AILA's Law Journal Welcomes New Editor-In-Chief Cyrus Mehta
AILA announced the new Editor-in-Chief for the AILA Law Journal will be renowned expert Cyrus D. Mehta of New York, NY. Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia ends her tremendously successful service in the role for the first three years of the law journal’s existence and is passing the torch this month.
AILA President Jeremy McKinney Responds to Texas Governor’s Reprehensible Border Announcement
In this statement, AILA President Jeremy McKinney responds to the announcement from Texas Governor Greg Abbott calling on Texas law enforcement officials and Texas National Guard members to illegally involve themselves in federal immigration policy.
Immigration and the Power of Storytelling
In this blog post, AILA member John Wheaton writes on the power of storytelling in bringing people together and creating community, encouraging his fellow attorneys to consider asking clients to share their stories and increase understanding of the immigrant experience.
SCOTUS Gets it Right: The Biden Administration Can End the Inhumane Remain in Mexico Program
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Amy Grenier describes the recent Supreme Court decision, affirming the Biden administration can indeed end the inhumane Remain in Mexico/Migrant Protection Protocols implemented by the Trump administration, and previews what comes next.