AILA Announcements
See the 2025 AILA Innovators’ Spotlight Panelists at Fall Conference.
8/22/25
AILA Doc. No. 25080500.
Professional Resources
Learn how to establish boundaries with clients and yourself to attain better work-life balance, including what to put in your engagement agreement and how to discuss it with clients.
Practice Resources
The DOS Liaison Committee provides a practice alert concerning the DOS announcement that it is suspending the issuance of all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on August 22, 2025.
8/22/25
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA held respondent failed to show exceptional and extremely unusual hardship, where his U.S.-citizen wife and children would remain in the United States and treatment for their mental health conditions would not be affected by his removal. Matter of Buri Mora, 29 I&N Dec. 186 (BIA 2025)
Professional Resources
This short ethics article clarifies a lawyer’s ethical obligations to show up to court when a case is calendared, even if the client isn’t going to, and helps with what to say to the judge.
8/21/25
AILA Doc. No. 25082138.
Ethics
Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements
DHS announced that ICE is partnering with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to expand ICE detention space by up to 280 beds at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, NE. Additionally, Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska National Guard will support ICE's immigration enforcement in the state.
Professional Resources
Social media advertisements that discuss legal remedies in a limited context can lead to unintended misrepresentations and sow confusion or misinformation about eligibility. This article discusses the ethical considerations and potential liabilities when using social media platforms to advertise.
8/21/25
AILA Doc. No. 21050639.
Ethics
Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements
USCIS revised policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the false claim to U.S. citizenship ground of inadmissibility, providing clarification on the application of the BIA decision in Matter of Zhang. The guidance is effective 8/20/25. Feedback is due 9/22/25.
Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements
USCIS updated guidance in its Policy Manual to address fees not eligible for fee waivers in accordance with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.-1) and applicable dates for determining the fees and filing deadlines for benefit requests. The guidance is effective 7/22/25. Feedback is due 9/22/25.
Immigration News
Aggregated local and national media coverage of major immigration law news stories being discussed throughout the U.S. on August 21, 2025.
8/21/25
Cases & Decisions, DOJ/EOIR Cases
The BIA held that a respondent’s nonresponsive and evasive testimony supports an adverse credibility determination, and that lack of corroboration may be an independent basis to find respondent has not shown eligibility for asylum or withholding. Matter of G–C–I–, 29 I&N Dec. 176 (BIA 2025)
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court upheld the denial of cancellation of removal based on no exceptional and extremely unusual hardship, finding that the petitioner’s children’s anxiety reflected stress commonly seen in removal proceedings and that financial harm could be mitigated. (Santos Mendoza v. Bondi, 8/14/25)
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court upheld the agency’s denial of asylum and withholding of removal, finding that the petitioner, who was threatened by a former leader of a Honduran land cooperative, failed to show that Honduran authorities were unable or unwilling to protect her. (Martinez-Martinez v. Bondi, 8/14/25)
Cases & Decisions, Federal Court Cases
The court held that the petitioner’s federal conviction under 18 USC §922(a)(1)(A) for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license qualified as the generic aggravated felony of illicit trafficking in firearms under INA §101(a)(43)(C). (Alvarez Ronquillo v. Bondi, 8/14/25)
Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements
USCIS updated Policy Manual guidance on factors that officers may consider in benefit requests that require an exercise of discretion, including individuals’ past requests for parole and alleged involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations, effective 8/19/25. Feedback is due 9/19/25.
Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements
EOIR Acting Director Sirce E. Owen issued policy memo (PM) 25-41 establishing updated guidance for the Dedicated Docket. Moving forward, DHS may schedule any cases placed on its Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program onto the Dedicated Docket. This PM supersedes and replaces EOIR PM 21-23.