Agency Memos & Announcements
CBP’s Carrier Liaison Program issued a bulletin concerning enhanced medical screening at U.S. ports of entry in response to the May 18, 2026, Title 42 order regarding the outbreak of Ebola in DRC and Uganda.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
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, June 9.
5/19/26
AILA Doc. No. 15082740.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Check out these AILA resources to help protect your practice from allegations of fraud.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
AILA Announcements
AILA members are encouraged to share inefficiencies and concerns arising in frontline adjudications. This campaign provides a template covering relevant topics to help you submit personalized comments. Get involved!
5/19/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051900.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
We are aware our listserv system is experiencing not delivering outgoing listserv emails at the moment. Messages are being queued and should send automatically once the issue has been corrected. We are actively working to restore normal service as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
5/19/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
As reports of abuse, property damage and loss, medical neglect, and other misconduct by federal immigration officers continue to grow, immigration attorneys need to know when the Federal Torts Claims Act (FTCA) may offer a path to seek damages and assign accountability.
5/19/26
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on May 19, 2026.
5/19/26
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that threats from masked men, two brief beatings, and a short detention of the Sikh Mann party member petitioner did not rise to the level of past persecution, and found he could avoid future persecution by relocating within India. (Singh v. Blanche, 12/1/25, amended 5/15/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
FR Regulations & Notices
DHS notice that the DHS Secretary has determined it is necessary to waive certain legal requirements in order to construct barriers and roads near the international border in the U.S. Border Patrol Big Bend Sector of Texas. The waiver is effective 5/15/26. (91 FR 27969, 5/15/26)
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements
The CDC has issued a Title 42 Order regarding the outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The order bars entry for non-U.S. passport holders who departed from or were present in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the last 21 days. The order will be in effect for 30 days.
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements
DOS announced that, effective 5/18/26, all visa services are temporarily paused at the U.S. embassies in Juba, South Sudan; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Kampala, Uganda. DOS states that the pause is due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Accessible to Public.
AILA and the American Immigration Council’s practice resource provides background for attorneys to understand the J-1 process, and to ask informed questions of program sponsors.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Blog
AILA Member Soon Young Joe Kwon urges the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) community “to raise our voices not just in celebration of what AAPI communities have built, but loudly and on the record on behalf of every immigrant community standing where we once stood.”
5/18/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051800.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on May 18, 2026.
5/18/26
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
This practice pointer explains how CBP Home’s “Intent to Depart” function works, outlines the user process, and highlights legal and strategic risks for practitioners advising clients considering app-based self-reporting and departure from the United States.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
AILA Announcements
Join us on May 19th for a seminar where our expert panelists will provide a practical, deep dive into the critical legal and procedural issues that immigration attorneys encounter when facing adverse court decisions.
5/18/26
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that DHS is not constitutionally required to translate the entirety of a Notice to Appear (NTA), including a noncitizen’s obligation to provide changes of address to the immigration court, to the noncitizen in their native language. (Urquia-Yanez v. Blanche, 5/8/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to review the agency’s denial of asylum as untimely where petitioner failed to engage with the government’s jurisdictional challenge, and found that substantial evidence supported the denial of withholding of removal. (Mohammed v. Blanche, 5/5/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that the BIA did not abuse its discretion in denying the Salvadoran’s untimely motion to reopen, finding that his MS-13 father-in-law’s arrest reflected a change in personal circumstances, not changed country conditions excepting the time bar. (Prado-Majano v. Blanche, 5/7/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Get the most out of your AC26 experience!
5/15/26
AILA Doc. No. 24020500.
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that two IJs failed to fulfill their statutory duty to develop the record for a pro se, detained respondent seeking a waiver under INA §209(c), asylum, withholding, and CAT deferral by failing to explain key legal standards and his procedural rights. (Diahn v. Blanche, 5/5/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements
SAVE and E-Verify provided updated guidance regarding extension of EADs for TPS-holders from Somalia in response to the 3/13/26 order in African Communities Together v. Noem staying TPS termination. Expiration dates for such EADs should be listed in E-Verify and SAVE as 7/1/26.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
The Practice and Professionalism Center explains how immigration law firms can evaluate whether a virtual mailbox service is a practical, secure, and compliant fit for their mail handling, address needs, and long-term operations.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
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.
Examples & Questions
AILA National has received reports of case rejections across all case types for a myriad of reasons. With this call, AILA aims to collect data to help us find where the most common issues for rejections are found to raise to the attention of USCIS as needed. Call closes on 06/05/2026 at 11:59pm ET.
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 May 15, 2026.
5/15/26
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Here are four tips from the John Michelle, the Purple Coach, and AILA’s Practice and Professionalism Center on how to discover the strengths of your people and yourself and use them to improve performance and resilience. It includes three recommended strengths assessments.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Professional Resources
Dan Maranci, leader of the Innovation and Technology Government Subcommittee, writes about the ways the government is leveraging AI tools and how immigration attorneys can stay vigilant to protect themselves and their clients.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements
DOS updated its list of countries subject to the visa bond pilot program to include information on FIFA World Cup travelers. DOS will waive bond requirements for certain nationals of competing countries, including athletes, team members, and ticket-holders who meet specific requirements.
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements
OFLC has issued Frequently Asked Questions which remind employers about Department of Transportation’s English language proficiency requirements for operators of commercial motor vehicles in the U.S. and their obligations under these requirements when submitting foreign labor applications to OFLC.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Congratulations to the 2026 AILA Chapter Pro Bono Champions! The 2026 Champions demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing pro bono assistance through many worthy initiatives.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Visa Bulletins
USCIS determined that, for June 2026, applicants in all family-sponsored preference categories must use the Dates for Filing chart, and applicants in all employment-based preference categories must use the Final Action Dates chart.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Blog
AILA Law Journal author Vaman Kidambi describes why he focused his piece on the decision of Judge William G. Young in AAUP v. Rubio and the call to uphold justice in the face of adversity; a link to the full article is available in the blog post.
5/14/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051402.
Accessible to Public.
Visa Bulletins
DOS posted the June 2026 Visa Bulletin with updates on “Final Action Dates,” “Dates for Filing,” the Diversity Visa (DV) program, availability of family-sponsored and employment-based visas, EB-1 and EB-2 for India, EB-2 for China, EB-3 for the Philippines, EB-5 for India, SIVs, and more.
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
AILA received reports new docketing policies for some pro se respondents where approximately 100 people are being scheduled for a single hearing time. The EOIR liaison committee is requesting additional information from members.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on May 14, 2026.
5/14/26
Accessible to Public.
Client Flyers
AILA provides a flyer to help inform your clients about employment authorization documents. The flyer is available as a generic PDF version and a Word version you can customize with your firm's information.
5/13/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051203.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
ICE posted HSI’s Critical Incident Readiness and Response Handbook (HSI 26-01), updated 2/6/26. The handbook provides national policies, procedures, responsibilities, guidelines, and controls for HSI personnel when responding to critical incidents.
5/13/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051364.
Accessible to Public.
USCIS 60-day notice of revision of the E-Verify Program. Comments are due 7/13/26. (91 FR 27075, 5/13/26)
Accessible to Public.
AILA Blog
AILA Second Vice President Rekha Sharma-Crawford, member of the AROL Task Force, describes how "Matter of Lozada is not the disease; it is the symptom. The disease is a court system never given the structural independence required to...apply the law consistently and protect fundamental fairness."
5/13/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051362.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on May 13, 2026.
5/13/26
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
AILA members report new hearings appearing in ECAS calendars without any notice of hearing being issued.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Client Flyers
AILA provides a flyer to help your clients avoid common errors when filing applications and petitions with USCIS. The flyer is available as a generic PDF version and a Word version you can customize with your firm's information.
5/12/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051202.
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 May 12, 2026.
5/12/26
Accessible to Public.
AILA Announcements
The immigration court system is in crisis and Congress must pass urgent reform to maintain judicial independence, reduce the backlog, and ensure due process. Get involved now!
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements
On 5/11/26, ICE issued a memo containing further restrictions regarding Congressional visits to detention facilities. The memo now mandates that only detainees who are identified by name at least two days before the visit and who provide a signed consent form can be visited.
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee provides a practice alert on the DOS announcement that the agency will begin revoking passports for individuals with child support arrears.
5/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051138.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements
USCIS issued a policy alert (PA-2026-01) updating Policy Manual guidance to “reaffirm deferred action as an extraordinary use of prosecutorial discretion,” effective 5/8/26. Unless otherwise required by law, USCIS will only consider deferred action on a case-by-case basis. Feedback is due 6/8/26.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Governance
AILA's Nominating Committee is seeking future AILA leaders! This message explains the process by which the Nominating Committee will solicit and review requests for nominations, and also serves as the official notice for the 2026 Annual Membership Meeting.
5/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051136.
Accessible to: Member.
Agency Memos & Announcements
DOS announced that it is coordinating with HHS to revoke the passports of Americans with significant child support debt. U.S. law allows DOS to revoke passports for individuals who owe $2,500 or more in child support.
5/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26051135.
Accessible to Public.