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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The Un-American Nature of Prison Bed Quotas
It has never been easy to be an immigration attorney. Faced with combatting injustice without sufficient resources, those of us who represent detained immigrants have seen these challenges increase with the recent hyper-growth of the private prison industry (PPI): 1600% increase in the number of be
An Unforgivable Waste
It was not until I sat on the plane, notebook open, pen in hand, when it hit me. The emotion came; I felt the tightening in my throat and tears forming in the corners of my eyes. It was only now that I could allow myself to fully process what I had just finally witnessed […]
Protecting the Survivors
Since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we wanted to take this opportunity to draw attention to the need for AILA member expertise to help survivors, the challenges involved, and also highlight some ways that immigration attorneys can make a huge difference by getting involved and offeri
I-140 Employment Card Rule Could Be a Winner for Both American and Immigrant Workers
It's no secret that the U.S. has shortages of workers in a variety of fields. Our immigration system seemingly provides a solution to the problem. If an employer is willing to undertake a complicated recruiting process where the position is advertised in a variety of places and the employer is willi
Dilley and Baseball
My recent trip to Dilley, Texas, was a joy, a pleasure, a treat. Not exactly what you would expect me to say in this piece, but in comparison to the hellhole that was Artesia, Dilley was refreshing. Maybe because of the great staff, the routine, the fact that there was not a major crisis the [R
Government Continues Incarcerating Mothers and Children Despite Judge’s Ruling
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project calls on the government to fully comply with Judge Gee’s ruling concerning the inhumane incarceration of mothers and children fleeing violence and persecution; thus far DHS has not taken the steps necessary to comply with today’s deadline.
Dilley as I Saw It, Part 2
Stefan Babich recently traveled to Dilley, Texas, to volunteer with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. In this two-part blog post, he walks readers through his first day of volunteering and the mothers whose stories he heard. Click here to read Part 1. What is it like hearing the life stori
Dilley as I Saw It, Part 1
Stefan Babich recently traveled to Dilley, Texas, to volunteer with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project. In this two-part blog post, he walks readers through his first day of volunteering and the mothers whose stories he heard. To read Part 2, click here. What was it like, walking into Dilley
Only 5 Workdays Left for a Proposed STEM OPT Rule, but Don’t Panic
Ever since an August 12 court decision, technology companies, universities and foreign students have been eagerly waiting for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to republish a rule creating the “STEM OPT Extension,“ part of the Optional Practical Training program that provides foreign s
Can the Innocence of a Child Soften the Hearts of Anti-Immigrants?
Sophie Cruz became an instant celebrity when she approached Pope Francis's motorcade to hand him a letter begging him to help her keep her parents in the United States. Her message was simple, coming from a five-year-old, yet it carried more power and conviction than any of the hateful rhetoric tha
What I Learned in Dilley
I spent a week volunteering as an immigration lawyer at the ICE family detention center in Dilley, Texas. It was a singular experience and I wanted to share some of what I learned. The detention center in Dilley opened after the 2014 “surge“ in immigrants from Central America crossing the U.S.
CARA: ICE and CCA Continue to Endanger the Lives of Mothers and Children Incarcerated at Family Detention Facility
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project submitted a new complaint to the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Inspector General detailing the inhumane conditions to which mothers and children are subjected at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
Complaint: ICE’s Continued Failure to Provide Adequate Medical Care to Mothers and Children Detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center
The CARA partners jointly filed a complaint on behalf of fourteen mothers and their children who received or are still receiving substandard medical care while detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center (STFRC) in Dilley, Texas.
Seeing the Forest for the Trees in the Immigration Debate
U.S. immigration law is a myriad of statutes, regulations, policies, memos, practices and procedures which span a wide variety of practice areas. The immigration debate playing out in the media is largely focused on the refugee, humanitarian, and family-based areas of immigration law. But this is on
Another Tool in the Fight to End Family Detention
This wasn't the blog post that I planned on writing. I had intended to simply share some information about the release of the ABA Commission on Immigration's report on family detention, and will. But I was interrupted in my writing by the immediacy of what's happening on the ground (OTG) at the fami
CARA: Coercion and Intimidation of Detained Mothers and Children Must Stop
The CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project submitted a complaint to the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Inspector General documenting intimidation, misinformation and violations of the right to counsel at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
One of Millions
As an immigration attorney, I hear the life stories of immigrants from all over the world. I hear about the mothers, fathers, siblings, and children left behind; I hear about the choices people have made and the relationships that have flourished and failed. It's a never-ending stream of sadness, ho
When Our Government Operates in Its Own Flawed Reality, the Most Vulnerable Suffer
On July 24, a federal court in California ruled that the Obama Administration's policy of detaining mothers and children violated the 1997 Flores Agreement. In a 25-page ruling, Judge Dolly Gee noted she found it “astonishing“ that immigration authorities had adopted a policy requiring such an
More Than a Label
This blog post was written in response to the questions raised by the SocialWork@Simmons #MoreThanALabel campaign, an effort to highlight how immigrants are currently combating labels and stigmas and what can be done to promote immigrant pride. My name is Victor Nieblas Pradis, and in June I became
AILA: Government Ineptitude Disappoints Thousands on Visa Timing
AILA and its members were disappointed today to learn that, due to a gross government miscalculation, many individuals and families will continue to face lengthy waits before they can submit their applications for permanent residence.
The Time to Permanently Authorize the Religious Worker Program is Now
Once again, September 30 is quickly approaching, and the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker (Religious Worker) program originally created in 1990 is set to expire unless reauthorized by that date. The program has been reauthorized numerous times, most recently 3 years ago. The Religious
The Alternate World of Family Detention
I returned to the alternate world of family detention at the end of June. It was both the most heartbreaking and most empowering thing I have ever done during my career as an immigration attorney. Trying my best to help these mothers and their children is wrenching. The family detention facility is
Thousands Will Receive Help from AILA Members to Apply for Citizenship
AILA is proud to partner with the NALEO Educational Fund for the ninth annual Citizenship Day on Saturday, September 19, 2015; the event brings together AILA attorneys and other advocates to provide assistance to lawful permanent residents eligible for naturalization.
AILA: America Must Respond More Generously to Refugee Crisis
AILA urges President Obama to go beyond the commitment he made to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees and to extend more meaningful protection to all refugees and asylum seekers whether they are resettled from abroad or have crossed U.S. borders fleeing violence, persecution, and other horrors.
A Special Place in Hell
“Don't mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself.“ Leviticus 19.33-34 “There's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.“ Madeleine Albright I met Carmen, a 36-year-old i