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.
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.
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.
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.