Immigration News
Check out daily roundups of immigration-related news stories, read articles that quote and cite AILA and AILA leadership, and check out analysis from AILA members and leadership on the AILA blog.
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AILA in the News
Browse the Immigration News collection
AILA Presents Rebecca Kitson with the 2022 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award
AILA recognizes Rebecca Kitson with the 2022 Elmer Fried Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of outstanding teaching in the area of immigration law.
AILA Launches FOIA Toolbox: A Practical Guide to Obtaining Records for Immigration Cases
AILA has a new resource for practitioners seeking to gain access to government records: AILA's FOIA Toolbox: A Practical Guide to Obtaining Records for Immigration Cases through FOIA and Other Document Requests.
AILA Presents Sandra A. Grossman with the 2022 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award
AILA recognizes Sandra A. Grossman with the 2022 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.
Efforts to Restore Asylum at the Border Hobbled by the Courts and Congress
AILA Policy and Practice Counsel Amy Grenier shares insights on where things stand with Title 42, and the new interim final rule on asylum and credible fear, noting that “both face challenges before the federal courts and Congress.“
AILA Presents Olivia Serene Lee with the 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
AILA recognizes Olivia Serene Lee with the 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for outstanding efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion excellence in the immigration legal profession.
AILA and the American Immigration Council Welcome Angela Kelley as Chief Advisor – Policy and Partnerships
AILA and the American Immigration Council welcome Angela Kelley as Chief Advisor – Policy and Partnerships. In her role, Ms. Kelley will be a critical member of the executive management team of both organizations; she most recently served as Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
AILA Presents Guerline Jozef with the 2022 Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award
AILA recognizes Guerline Jozef with the 2022 Arthur C. Helton Human Rights Award for outstanding service in advancing the cause of human rights.
AILA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Work
AILA 2021-22 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair Ban Al-Wardi shares insights into the committee's accomplishments this year and how the AILA community can engage on various DEI Committee efforts, including the 21-Day Invitation starting June 1.
Detention Ombudsman Reports 52% of Complaints Were About Living Conditions
AILA Policy Counsel Jen Whitlock writes about the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) including the office's history, the data it has shared so far, and some key questions that remain; she urges everyone to use AILA's advocacy tool to tell Congress immigration detention is inhumane
With A Gun To Their Head
In this video blog post, AILA Law Student Member Nathan Hall describes why he decided to dig into the issue of the “serious nonpolitical crime“ bar and its impact on asylum seekers when he wrote his piece for the April 2022 edition of the AILA Law Journal.
Fast Tracking Asylum at the Border will Undermine Due Process
In this blog post, AILA's Amy Grenier walks through the significant due process concerns that have been expressed about the Interim Final Rule on asylum processing from the Biden administration and why having sufficient time, to seek counsel and pull together a substantive claim, is so important.
AILA President Allen Orr: Pause on Title 42 Rollback Unsurprising; the Fight Continues
Allen Orr responded to the preliminary injunction keeping Title 42 in place as a border expulsion policy noting, “We are disappointed but in no way surprised by this decision…we will overcome this decision and ensure America’s compassion and commitment to fairness and justice prevail.”
Tackling Jurisdictional Questions
AILA member Geoffrey A. Hoffman shares insights on the article he wrote for the Spring 2022 edition of the AILA Law Journal focused on the issue of jurisdiction and how the defective NTA-jurisdictional question could play a crucial part in resolving and reducing the 1.6 million case backlog. AILA me
AILA President-Elect Jeremy McKinney Responds to Supreme Court Decision in Patel v. Garland
AILA President-Elect Jeremy McKinney responded to the decision in Patel v. Garland, stating, “This decision strips non-citizens of an important avenue for relief after incorrect decisions by immigration judges. It does so by ignoring the plain language of the statute.”
Broadening the Reach of Pro Bono Through Virtual Clinics
In this blog post, AILA Pro Bono Committee Chair Adonia Simpson and Sarah Burrows, Director, Pro Bono & Partnerships at HIAS, share insights into how AILA South Florida successfully pivoted to virtual pro bono events and how you can replicate this effort.
Fan Letters to AILA Members’ Favorite Resources
As we continue to celebrate AILA's 75th anniversary year, we asked members to share a fan letter to their favorite AILA resource, in two or three sentences, or haiku form. Read about five favorites in this blog post on Think Immigration.
The “SS EOIR” is Changing Course; Encouraging Winds Ahead
AILA member Stacy Caplow reflects on her Spring 2022 edition of the AILA Law Journal article entitled “The Sinking Immigration Court: Change Course, Save the Ship“ in this blog post and why readers should take heart given a recent shift in EOIR hiring.
Texas AG “Investigating” Texas Bar Foundation is an Attempt to Shift Attention and Undermine the Rule of Law
AILA and the American Immigration Council stand in support of the Texas State Bar Foundation in response to TX AG Ken Paxton’s investigation of the Foundation for supporting organizations that provide legal representation, citizenship classes, and other legal needs to the immigrant community in TX.
How Legal Ethics Has Evolved in Immigration Practice
In this blog post, AILA members Michele Carney and Beth Persky reflect on the changes to legal ethics over the last 75 years, and encourage colleagues to learn more about those changes as a way to look down the road to more changes that may come.
Knowing the History of “The Huddled Masses”
In this blog post, AILA member and Law Journal author John Medeiros introduces his piece featured in the recent special edition of the AILA Law Journal celebrating AILA's 75 years; his piece “Huddled Masses“ chronicles the history of U.S. immigration and the development of U.S. immigration la
AILA Welcomes USCIS Action to Address Effect of Processing Delays on Families and the U.S. Economy
AILA welcomed news that USCIS will automatically extend work permits for up to 540 days beginning May 4, 2022. AILA President Allen Orr said, “It is a great step forward, but there remain many more simple changes the Biden Administration can and should make to right the ship at USCIS.”
A Special Edition of the AILA Law Journal Celebrates #AILA75Years
In this blog post, we walk through the Spring 2022 edition of the AILA Law Journal which features an interview between editor-in-chief Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia and AILA President Allen Orr, along with special and substantive pieces from AILA members as we celebrate AILA's 75 Years.
AILA Welcomes New Humanitarian Parole Process for Ukrainians, but Administration Needs to Recognize Disparate Treatment of Populations
AILA welcomed the announcement the Biden administration is building out a process to allow U.S.-based individuals and organizations to more easily sponsor Ukrainian refugees but must redouble its efforts to correct what continues to be starkly disparate treatment of other populations.
AILA Welcomes Designation of Cameroon for Temporary Protected Status
AILA welcomed the recent designation of Cameroon for TPS which will protect thousands of Cameroonian nationals currently in the U.S. but noted, “We cannot sacrifice one vulnerable population for another. These decisions must be centered in equity and our common humanity.”
Reopening America’s Doors to Immigration Requires Addressing the Visa Backlog
AILA member Dominique Pando Bucci shares insights into the backlogs facing businesses trying to bring foreign talent to the U.S. and families trying to reunite due to Department of State backlogs and highlights AILA's recommendations for reopening America's doors.