Blog: Think Immigration
We believe that immigration law is an integral part of America’s past, present and future. We also know that immigration law is complicated. Here you’ll find experts writing in an accessible way about immigration issues, from big, broad ideas down to specific cases. Our members bring knowledge they’ve gleaned from the daily practice of immigration law to this space and offer their expertise to readers.
Browse the Blog: Think Immigration collection
USCIS Processing Delays Soared While Application Rates Fell
AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights newly released USCIS data and shows how the new information “has cast an even harsher glare on the agency's well-documented failure to process its caseload in a timely fashion.“
Black Immigrant History is Part of Black History Month
In this blog post, part of the AILA Diversity & Inclusion series, AILA Second Vice President Allen Orr recognizes Black History Month, shares important research and analysis, and writes, “In the drive for immigration reform, black immigrants must not be forgotten or left out of the equation.“
Shining Some FOIA Light on the Immigration Courts
AILA Senior Policy Counsel Laura Lynch describes an EOIR memo, obtained via FOIA by AILA and the American Immigration Council, which lays out a plan, purportedly to lessen the immigration court backlog but which has done the opposite, bloating the backlog and undermining due process.
America’s Seasonal Worker Visa Program Desperately Needs an Update
In this blog post, AILA member Adam Greenberg explains the benefits of the H-2B visa program and the significant obstacles employers face trying to bring in seasonal workers, including artificially low caps on the number of visas, and technical problems like the iCERT system failing in early January
Governing with Blinders On
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson describes how the border security debate ignores how border enforcement “works in the real world“ and highlights how our “immigration system is very much out of step with economic and social reality.“
Tool Time: What You Need to Sue the Government
AILA member Lori Chesser describes how business immigration law experts may want to explore litigation as an option for clients and highlights her recent win along with some useful AILA resources.
AILA Stands with Our Members Against Government Retaliation
In this blog post, AILA President-Elect Marketa Lindt and AILA Treasurer Jeremy McKinney describe recent troubling events which could impact access to counsel for asylum seekers at the border and avow “We stand with our members…We stand ready to fight.“
Agency Delays Enact the Administration’s Immigration Agenda
AILA Member Sandra Feist highlights another brick in the Trump administration's “invisible wall“ relating to delays and obstacles to I-751 petitioners and the significant impact those delays can have on immigrants who “got in line“ and their families as well.
Matter of A-B-: Case Updates, Current Trends, and Suggested Strategies
AILA Asylum and Refugee Committee Chair Dree Collopy describes Matter of A-B- and its potential impact on asylum law and previews an upcoming webinar on the topic that is open to interested practitioners.
AILA Analysis Reveals Crisis-Level Delays in USCIS Case Processing
In this blog post, AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd shares key points from AILA's recent policy brief and explains how USCIS processing delays have reached crisis levels under the Trump administration.
End the Shutdown and Secure the Border Act: What’s Wrong with the Trump-McConnell Bill
AILA Member Sabrina Damast highlights the damaging provisions in the bill supported by the administration to end the shutdown which would negatively impact Dreamers, TPS-recipients, and asylum seekers.
Go to Tijuana. Go Now.
In this blog post, AILA members Kara Lynum and Christina Brown describe their experience volunteering at the border with asylum seekers and urge other AILA members and the public to take action as well!
Unintended Consequences
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Matthew Maiona highlights the unintended consequences of the shutdown, including a halt to the E-Verify program which allows U.S. employers to check the eligibility of applicants to work.
Serious about Border Security?
AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson takes a look at the real dangers to U.S. border security, writing “Were the President serious about border security, he would focus his administration's attention and resources on the transnational criminal cartels who deal drugs, run guns, and launder money.̶
See Your Successes – the Justice Campaign’s Year in Numbers
Justice Campaign director Karen Lucas reflects on the difficulties and triumphs of 2018, writing that because of the amazing work of volunteers, the campaign “will enter 2019 with something that cannot and will not be deterred by anti-immigrant executive actions and rhetoric: hope.“
Take Action: Comment on the H-1B Proposed Rule
AILA President-Elect Marketa Lindt urges AILA members to use AILA's Take Action tool to comment on the proposed H-1B rule, writing “this is an issue on which we as AILA members need to be heard.“
AILA Teams Up with the ACLU and Others to Tear Down Barriers to Access to Counsel
In this blog post, AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson describes the lawsuit AILA joined as plaintiff in response to ICE and Geo Group creating unlawful barriers to attorney-client communications.
Proposed H-1B Policy Creates New Uncertainty for American Employers
In this blog post, AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Sandra Feist explains what the proposed H-1B rule would really mean for American employers and encourages a different path forward, in which “a more flexible, responsive visa program for professionals“ is developed.
Protect the American Dream – Comment on the Public Charge Rule
In this blog post, AILA Executive Director Ben Johnson lays out what the proposed “public charge“ rule would do and how anyone can lift their voice and submit a comment about how the rule would negatively impact America, writing “for the health and well-being of our society as a whole, we must
USCIS’s New Policy is a Boon to Abusers and Traffickers
Christie Popp shares her experiences working with immigrant victims and witnesses of crimes and highlights how the new USCIS NTA policy for VAWA, U- and T-visas will hinder law enforcement efforts and cause harm, not only to applicants, but to their families and communities as well.
A Dozen Years of PERM – A Practitioner’s Perspective
In this blog post, AILA member and PERM expert Ceridwen Koski offers insights into how the PERM landscape has changed over the past dozen years and what AILA members can do to prepare themselves to meet their clients' needs.
Ellis Island – A Window to our Past and Future
AILA Media Advocacy Committee Member Doug Penn visited Ellis Island and the ruins of the country's first public health hospital there; he urges all of us, “as you live and work, try to see your life from the perspective of Ellis Island - and live up to that statue in the harbor.“
TPS Holders Impacted by Immigration Scams
AILA member Anna Gallagher highlights the importance of avoiding scams and getting qualified counsel in an uncertain immigration environment, particularly those who hold Temporary Protected Status.
Serving Those Who Serve Our Country
As we reflect on Veterans Day, this blog post offers insights into the impact of immigration law on members of the military and their families and encourages AILA members to “help a service member by bringing immigration legal expertise and a caring heart to bear on these important cases.“
Reality vs. Rhetoric – Why Are People Fleeing to the United States?
In this blog post, AILA Board of Governors member Ally Bolour describes the country conditions in Central America, and involvement therein by the United States government over decades, that have led to refugees seeking protection.