Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
SAVE and E-Verify provided updates regarding EADs for Ethiopian TPS-holders, given the ruling in African Communities Together v. Noem on 1/30/26 extending their validity. Expiration dates for such EADs should be listed in E-Verify and SAVE as 4/13/26. The updates supersede guidance issued 3/12/26.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Is the fear of data migration holding you back from optimizing the technology in your firm? Explore 3 reasons why you should charge forward.
4/9/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040903.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
AILA’s Student Visa Taskforce offers guidance for practitioners on verifying the employment history of international students, especially those on OPT and STEM OPT, to ensure compliance with immigration regulations and avoid penalties.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Examples & Questions
AILA's USCIS Operations Committee is aware of the significant delays members are experiencing regarding the issuance of Form I-797, Receipt Notices, either by mail and/or myUSCIS across multiple service centers.
4/9/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040901.
Accessible to: Member.
Practice Resources
The Verification Committee provides a comprehensive chart on current status and EAD notes for TPS and parole programs.
Special thank you to Kathleen Campbell Walker, Meredith Jolie, John Mazzeo, Timothy D’Arduini, Sarah Peterson, and Kimberley Best Robidoux for their contributions to the chart.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 9, 2026.
4/9/26
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court granted in part the petition for review, holding that for special rule cancellation under INA §240A(b)(2)(A)(i)(II), an abuser may be a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or U.S. citizen at any time before the application is adjudicated. (Cardenas v. Att’y Gen., 3/31/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
AILA Announcements
This summer, join thousands of immigration attorneys, law professors, paralegals, students, exhibitors, and special guests in San Diego, California—set against the calm beauty of the Pacific coast. Together, we’ll recharge, sharpen our expertise, and fortify the bonds that strengthen our community.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
AILA National and the Global Migration Section (GMS) invite you to attend its annual Global Migration Forum, which this year will be held in the beautiful border city of San Diego on the southern coast of California.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
EOIR announced the investiture of 15 immigration judges and 17 temporary immigration judges in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Accessible to Public.
Memo & Regulatory Comments
AILA and the American Immigration Council urge DOJ/EOIR to withdraw the BIA Appellate Procedures IFR, arguing it unlawfully cuts appeal time to 10 days, makes summary dismissal the default without a complete record, burdens counsel, and shifts errors and caseloads to federal courts.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 8, 2026.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
AILA and the National Well-Being Committee are proud to present Well-Being Week in Law 2026. Wellness is always important but takes on new contours during times of stress or upheaval. Join us May 4–8 as we come together to prioritize well-being!
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
AILA Announcements
Join us for the 2026 AILA Spring CLE Conference and Webcast to get an insider’s view of what is happening at the government agencies. Agency officials and AILA liaison committee members will discuss the latest regulatory and policy initiatives affecting your practice and clients.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
Join us on April 15th for an engaging roundtable discussion focused on real-world strategies for navigating burnout in today’s unpredictable and demanding work environment.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
Join us on April 10th for a roundtable that aims to serve as a space and resource to answer all questions regarding electronic payments, and ideally aid in avoiding rejections by USCIS.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
Join us on April 10th for a roundtable on translating data insights into practical actions when navigating client cases and making business decisions for their firms.
4/8/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
The American Immigration Lawyers Association urges Congress to oppose funding for ICE and CBP without real reforms and to reject immigration enforcement that is causing harm and making communities less safe.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
On April 16, over 300 AILA members from 34 chapters will visit Congress for AILA’s National Day of Action. If you’re not attending, you can still support AILA’s priorities by contacting your Member of Congress below!
4/7/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040701.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Reid Trautz, Senior Director of the Practice and Professionalism center, gives you 6 tips on how to maximize your productivity.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
DOL published the budget-in-brief for its FY2027 budget request. The request includes $10.7 billion in discretionary budget authority for a total budget of $52.8 billion. Of note, it includes a plan to make OFLC an independent agency directly under the Secretary.
4/7/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040700.
Accessible to Public.
Federal Agencies, FR Regulations & Notices
DOL notice announcing the annual updates, effective 4/7/26, to allowable monetary charges employers may charge H-2A workers when providing three meals a day, as well as the minimum and maximum travel-related subsistence reimbursements under the H-2A and H-2B programs. (91 FR 17664, 4/7/26)
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
Learn how AILALink is the perfect tool for electronic access to the books and other research resources you need. Sign up for our next group training at 2:00 pm (ET) on Tuesday, April 14.
4/7/26
AILA Doc. No. 15082740.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 7, 2026.
4/7/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
Join the Family Section for their April 2026 Quarterly Call on April 8th where we will discuss the different travel bans to help sort through which countries are affected, what exceptions there are, and which ones cover USCIS and which cover consular processing.
4/6/26
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
AILA's DOL Committee provides the following pointer regarding O*Net Job Zone updates, which began on 02/24/2026. However, it is presumed that the changes will be incorporated into the FLAG system on 07/01/2026. Existing Job Zone schema in use by OFLC until system update is completed.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
DHS posted a budget-in-brief of the FY27 President’s Budget Request of $118.4 billion for DHS, including $63.0 billion in net discretionary funding. It includes $10.5 billion for ICE ($10 billion discretionary), ($113 million discretionary), and $22.9 billion for CBP ($18.5 billion discretionary).
4/6/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040604.
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
AILA's USCIS Operations Committee provides the latest information available regarding legacy e-Gov interface Case Status Online Accounts and the transition to the new platform - a continuing update which USCIS begun in 2020.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 6, 2026.
4/6/26
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court denied the petitions for review, holding that a Virginia Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months qualifies as a crime for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed under INA §237(a)(2)(A)(i). (Perdomo Ulloa v. Bondi, 3/25/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA held that lay testimony alone is generally insufficient to establish exceptional and extremely unusual hardship for cancellation of removal under INA §240A(b)(1)(D) where expert medical evidence could reasonably have been produced. Matter of Pelagio Mendoza, 29 I&N Dec. 542 (BIA 2026)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Professional Resources
In this series AILA’s National Pro Bono Committee interviews Chapter Pro Bono Champions, asking them five questions to learn more about how they began doing pro bono work and the impact of their work.
4/3/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040305.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Memo & Regulatory Comments
AILA submits a comment opposing the DOJ notice of proposed rulemaking that would limit the authority of state bar agencies to review complaints and allegations against current and former DOJ attorneys until the Attorney General has completed its investigation.
4/3/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040304.
Ethics
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA reaffirmed that an obstruction of justice offense requires specific intent to interfere with the process of law, and held that a California accessory to a felony conviction categorically qualifies as an aggravated felony. Matter of Valenzuela Gallardo, 29 I&N Dec. 536 (BIA 2026)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Examples & Questions
AILA’s USCIS Operations Committee has received several reports of members who received emails from myUSCIS after the March 19th filing period closed, alerting them of “failed payment” for the registration, thus invaliding the registration. These reports include payments using ACH and credit cards.
Accessible to: Member.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 3, 2026.
4/3/26
Accessible to Public.
Federal Agencies, FR Regulations & Notices
On 3/31/26, President Trump signed Executive Order 14399 which would require DHS and SSA to send a list of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in federal elections to state elections officials. The EO also directs the Postal Service to start a NPRM regarding mail-in ballot criteria and handling.
4/3/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040301.
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court reversed the grant of habeas relief to the Mexican petitioner, holding that an unadmitted noncitizen present in the United States is “seeking admission” and subject to mandatory detention under INA §235(b)(2)(A). (Avila v. Bondi, et al., 3/25/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
AILA Announcements
Join us from 4/28 - 5/12 for a hands-on, beginner-friendly online course that offers participants the skills to use Microsoft 365 Copilot today, to improve writing, streamline office work, reduce research time, and build safe workflows.
4/3/26
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Acknowledging a negative online review without violating applicable Rules of Professional Conduct yet protecting your reputation and indicating your levelheadedness to potential future clients may seem like a tall order, but it is doable. This ethics article offers helpful tips.
4/2/26
AILA Doc. No. 21050330.
Ethics
Accessible to: Member, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
AILA provides the most up-to-date information available on FY2027 H-1B Cap-Subject filing. Updates to this information may be shared as additional related resources when and if they become available.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 2, 2026.
4/2/26
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Learn more and sign-up to give back to the San Diego community at our virtual pro bono clinic for AC26.
4/2/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040201.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
CBP’s Carrier Liaison program issued an updated bulletin on the Visa Bond Pilot Program established by DOS’s temporary final rule published to the Federal Register on 8/5/25. 12 additional countries are now subject to the visa bond, effective April 2, 2026.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
AILA Blog
AILA Past President Jeremy McKinney highlighted key questions raised and answers given in Trump v. Barbara before the Supreme Court as the Justices consider whether the “executive order was constitutionally deficient the day it was signed.”
4/1/26
AILA Doc. No. 26040102.
Accessible to Public.
Federal Agencies, Practice Resources
AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee updated its practice pointer on immigrant visa processing at the National Visa Center (NVC). The practice pointer provides NVC processing tips and best practices for communicating and resolving problem cases with the NVC.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Federal Agencies, Practice Resources
AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee provides a brief practice alert on DOS’s publication of Monthly Visa Issuance Statistics for September 2025 and its annual report of Visa Refusals rates for B Visas by nationality.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Federal Agencies, FR Regulations & Notices
CBP notice announcing that CBP has opened an additional preclearance facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Preclearance operations began 3/10/26. (91 FR 16011, 4/1/26)
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements, Federal Agencies
USCIS announced it received enough registrations during the initial registration period to reach the FY27 H-1B cap, including the master’s cap. USCIS has made its selections and notified prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file, beginning 4/1/26.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on April 1, 2026.
4/1/26
Accessible to Public.