FR Regulations & Notices
DOJ 60-day notice of a new form for Requests for DOJ Certification Letters for T Visa Holders. Comments are due 8/17/26. (91 FR 36156, 6/16/26)
Accessible to Public.
Visa Bulletins
USCIS determined that, for July 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.
Visa Bulletins
DOS posted the July 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, EB-2, and EB-5 for India; EB-2 for China; EB-3 for the Philippines, SIVs, and more.
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that the petitioner’s Florida conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was categorically a crime of violence under 18 USC §16, and thus found that the BIA did not abuse its discretion in denying the petitioner’s motion to reopen. (Senatus v. Att’y Gen., 6/8/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The en banc court vacated its prior order denying the petitioners’ opposed motion to stay removal and granted the stay, finding that the petitioners met the standard for a stay under Nken v. Holder in light of en banc briefing and oral argument. (Rojas-Espinoza v. Blanche, 6/9/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that a petitioner found removable under INA §237(a)(2)(E)(ii) for violating a no-contact order need not have the actual protection order in the record, where other evidence proved the statutory elements by clear and convincing evidence. (Tiah v. Blanche, 6/8/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
AILA Governance
Sign up to volunteer with AILA National.
6/16/26
AILA Doc. No. 24021303.
Accessible to: Member.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that it lacked jurisdiction to review the BIA’s discretionary denial of cancellation of removal and that the BIA did not abuse its discretion in denying reconsideration where the petitioner waived his challenge to removability by failing to appeal it. (Dodaj v. Blanche, 6/8/26)
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 June 16, 2026.
6/16/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061601.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Blog
AILA members Lynn Calder, Carly Hetland, Karen Hill, and Kate Rodriguez highlight how AILA “helps students learn the field, helps new attorneys practice it with confidence, and helps experienced lawyers refine their craft while shaping the future of immigration law.”
6/16/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061600.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Learn how to establish a straightforward process for closing immigration law cases, minimize ethical risks, and avoid prolonged cases, with downloadable sample case closing letters in Word.
Accessible to: Member, Student, 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.
6/15/26
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
Consular posts are shifting visa issuance and fraud fee collection to Pay.gov without formal DOS guidance, creating confusion. Some applicants receive §221(g) refusals solely for nonpayment, with visas issued after payment and no further review.
Accessible to: Member, Student.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on June 15, 2026.
6/15/26
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
On June 8, 2026, the District Court of Massachusetts vacated the $100,000 H-1B fee as unlawful. AILA provides updates regarding the implementation of the $100,000 H-1B fee based on recent court orders.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
AILA Governance
View the schedule of upcoming AILA Board of Governors meetings.
6/15/26
AILA Doc. No. 99900686.
Accessible to: Member.
Examples & Questions
AILA is conducting a survey for an advocacy-oriented report about the experience of immigration attorneys having access to their clients obstructed by immigration agencies and related entities, either through individual officer decisions or the impact of broader national or regional policies.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
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.
6/12/26
Accessible to Public.
Federal Court Cases
DOJ sued Virginia over regulations that ban federal law enforcements officers from wearing masks, require them to show identification, and bar cooperative agreements between state and local agencies and federal immigration enforcement unless certain conditions are met. (USA v. Virginia, 6/11/26)
6/12/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061204.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Professional Resources
Hesitant about self-compassion? This article invites you to try it anyway and see the results.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements
USCIS announced that it will comply, pending further litigation, with the district court's 6/5/26 and 6/11/26 orders in Dorcas v. USCIS. The court vacated policies that placed processing holds on applications and added consideration of country-specific factors to discretionary benefit adjudications.
Accessible to Public.
On June 12, 2026, USCIS filed an appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals in response to the vacatur of policies pausing adjudication of certain benefit requests.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
USCIS quietly adds medical physicians to group cases eligible for lift of processing holds. AILA recommends that members closely monitor the Strengthening Vetting USCIS page for unannounced updates.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions
On June 11, 2026, the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island issued a second order clarifying the challenged policies in Dorcas Int'l Institute of Rhode Island, et al v. USCIS, et al as unlawful under the APA, and ordered the government to provide a status update on implementation within 24 hours.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Correspondence
The Department of State’s Visa Office informed AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee that they will be unable to attend the 2026 AILA Annual Conference. In lieu of a meeting, AILA’s DOS Liaison Committee has submitted a list of outstanding questions to the DOS Visa Office.
Accessible to Public.
Practice Resources
On May 11, 2026, DHS published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) providing that if USCIS accepts a benefit request and later determines that the request lacks a valid signature, the agency may reject or deny the filing. Please see this pointer for key changes, impact, and best practices.
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 June 12, 2026.
6/12/26
Accessible to Public.
Press Releases
AILA recognizes the Immigrant Justice Corps with the Robert E. Juceam Founders Award, which is given from time to time to the person or entity having the most substantial impact on the field of immigration law or policy.
6/12/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061200.
Accessible to Public.
Agency Memos & Announcements
DOL’s Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) announced that it is rescheduling a training session on DOL's e-File/e-Serve (EFS) Public Portal, previously scheduled for 6/18/26. The time and date for the presentation are to be determined.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Get the scoop on what is happening at annual conference 2026 that has a practice management, professionalism, and well-being bend—the Practice and Professionalism Center's take on what you can't miss.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
FR Regulations & Notices
ICE 60-day notice of the extension without change of the Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. Comments are due 8/10/26. (91 FR 35535, 6/11/26)
6/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061106.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
Online communication gets heated quickly, because it doesn’t have the same communication norms to fall back on. Use these four tips to ensure you come off as well online as you do in person.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
FR Regulations & Notices
EOIR interim final rule and request for comments to update its fee regulations for filings to comply with H.R. 1, effective 6/11/26. Comments are due 7/13/26. (91 FR 35369, 6/11/26)
Accessible to Public.
Congressional Updates
On 6/9/26, Senators Merkley, Peters, and Durbin submitted a Congressional statement in the lead up to the passage to the FY26 Budget Reconciliation bill providing details on some of the procedural negotiations related to family detention and unaccompanied children prior to the bill's passage.
Accessible to Public.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on June 11, 2026.
6/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061103.
Accessible to Public.
Professional Resources
This AILA Ethics Committee advisory discusses the importance of maintaining ethical standards in immigration law practice amidst challenging circumstances in order to protect clients and the credibility of the immigration system and practice defensively.
6/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061102.
Ethics
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Press Releases
AILA recognizes James Chesser with the 2026 Technology & Innovation Award, in acknowledgment of his pioneering work leveraging technology to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and improve client service.
6/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061101.
Accessible to Public.
AILA Blog
AROL Task Force Member Kathleen Campbell Walker describes screening clients as a tsunami of policy changes floods the zone, writing that “in this current constantly-changing and increasingly chaotic era, counsel must keep their head on a swivel as they advocate for their clients.”
6/11/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061100.
Accessible to Public.
AILA's CBP Committee coordinates with local CBP liaisons to monitor issues and trends with respect to admissions policy and procedures at U.S. ports of entry, including southern and northern border.
6/10/26
AILA Doc. No. 16072891.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
The DOS Liaison Committee provides a briefing on the June 2026 Visa Bulletin, which highlights employment-based retrogression for EB-1 for India and the use of all available EB-2 and EB-5 visas for India in FY 2026.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
The AILA Global Migration Section (GMS) Analytics Subcommittee surveyed the GMS membership regarding government digitalization and technology tools used in immigration law practice. These survey responses cover 17 countries.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal, International Associate.
Immigration News
Monthly newsletter brought to you by the members of the Family Section Steering Committee
The content of this email was created by Kathleen Irish, the AILA Family Section Chair, along with the assistance of other members of the Family Section Steering Committee
6/10/26
AILA Doc. No. 26061003.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
AILA's USCIS Operations Committee provides a few pointers for dealing with rejections, including immediate actions, communications with clients, communication with USCIS, and assessment for potential litigation.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA dismissed the respondent’s appeal, holding that his conviction for health care fraud under 18 USC §1347 was for a particularly serious crime barring asylum and withholding of removal, and affirming the denial of CAT protection. Matter of J–O–A–, 29 I&N Dec. 672 (BIA 2026)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA held that the “social distinction” element of a particular social group (PSG) must generally be measured on a countrywide basis, rather than from the perspective of a neighborhood or other limited geographic location within a country. Matter of S–E–M–Z–, 29 I&N Dec. 680 (BIA 2026)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Agency Memos & Announcements
DOS announced that it has issued all available immigrant visas in the EB-5 unreserved category for applicants chargeable to India for FY26. Embassies and consulates may resume issuing visas in this category when the new fiscal year (FY27) begins on 10/1/26.
Accessible to Public.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that the BIA’s orders dismissing the petitioner’s appeal did not state with sufficient particularity their basis for rejecting his arguments that Kenyan police would persecute him as a presumed Mungiki based on his family status or Kikuyu ethnicity. (Muchiri v. Blanche, 6/3/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, Paralegal.
Practice Resources
The Associated Press has reported that DOS will be reducing consular operations to only 20 posts in Africa. Currently, approximately 50 African posts process visas.
Accessible to: Member, Student, Paralegal.
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that the petitioner’s conviction in Illinois for battery against his mother and siblings was a crime of domestic violence barring cancellation of removal, and sanctioned counsel for signing and submitting briefs containing AI hallucinations. (Perez-Castillo v. Blanche, 6/1/26)
Accessible to: Member, Student, Govt/Policy, 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, July 14.
6/10/26
AILA Doc. No. 15082740.
Accessible to Public.