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Asylum seekers who were ordered deported for missing their U.S. court hearings under the Trump administration’s so-called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)—informally known as the “Remain in Mexico” program—will be allowed to restart their proceedings in the United States. Thousands of others whose cases were terminated because of procedural errors before they had a chance to […]

The post Biden Will Admit Asylum Seekers Ordered Deported Under Trump’s Migrant Protection Protocols appeared first on Immigration Impact.

As military troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Afghan nationals that supported the operations of the U.S. government—as translators and other vital roles—are in danger of violent retribution from Taliban forces. The Department of State offers resettlement to eligible Afghans through the special immigrant visa program, but slow processing and significant backlogs have failed to address the […]

The post Congress Proposes Legislation to Expedite and Expand Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan Allies appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In this blog post, AILA member Yasmin Blackburn welcomes the federal recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday and urges us to use the day to reflect, research, and learn about America's history and to take action to ensure a more just future.

World Refugee Day is celebrated internationally on June 20 every year. It honors the struggle of refugees around the world who are fleeing violence and persecution and are unable to safely return to their home countries. Over this past year, in the middle of a devastating global pandemic, the number of refugees worldwide hit an […]

The post On World Refugee Day, A Call to Rebuild U.S. Refugee Resettlement appeared first on Immigration Impact.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on June 11 its plan for funds the Trump administration had planned to use to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Unspent funds will address safety and environmental issues, while funds diverted from the Department of Defense will be returned for their original purposes. President Trump centered […]

The post Biden Will Use Border Wall Funding for Safety and Environmental Protections appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on June 16 that he is restoring a vital lifeline to survivors of gender-based violence, gang violence, and violence on account of family relationships. Garland issued two decisions overruling Trump-era Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and William Barr’s rulings disqualify many such individuals from asylum in the United States. Garland’s rulings […]

The post Attorney General Rescinds Two Trump Decisions, Restoring Protection to Many Asylum Seekers appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In recognition of Father’s Day, we asked AILA members to share how something their dad did or said helped them choose immigration law as a profession; read these five inspiring and heartfelt examples.

Twice each year, the federal government publishes a “regulatory agenda,” a preview of all the proposals that are in the pipeline to become federal regulations. Last week, the Biden administration used the 2021 Spring Regulatory Agenda to indicate the many ways that it intends to move away from the Trump era, in everything from legal […]

The post Biden Signals Big Changes to Legal Immigration and Asylum Law with Spring Regulatory Agenda appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In this video blog post, Cyrus Mehta reflects on the life and impact of the late Judge Robert Katzmann, explaining how he was the impetus for projects to help immigrants receive legal representation that affected so many families and individuals.

My name is Hali Calzadillas-Andujo and I’m originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. I first came to the United States with my mother and siblings when I was eight years old. I didn’t even know what it meant, really, except that I was rejoining my father. I came to Santa Fe, New Mexico and have been here […]

The post DACA Has Allowed Me to Pursue Education, But We Need A Permanent Solution Now appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Mo Goldman shares the example of his client to explain that DACA isn’t enough and Congress needs to act because “A year from now, we should not be celebrating the ten-year anniversary of DACA" but instead "the first months of a path to citizenship for these deserving individuals."

The Supreme Court issued a decision last Thursday in a criminal case that will have an immediate impact on immigration law. The new decision set a limit on the types of crime that can be considered an “aggravated felony” ground for deportation. In Borden v. United States, a divided Supreme Court held that only crimes […]

The post The Supreme Court Limits the Crimes That Can Lead to Near-Automatic Deportation appeared first on Immigration Impact.

Allen Orr, newly installed AILA President for the 2021-22 term, shares his story and his vision for a transformative year ahead in this transcript of the installation speech he gave on June 10, 2021 during AILA's Annual Conference.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is collecting DNA from asylum seekers at the border, recent media reports confirm. This is the latest expansion of DNA collection as part of a program initiated under the Trump administration that targets nearly all immigrants in government custody. A growing number of noncitizens are being subjected to this invasive […]

The post Collecting DNA From Asylum Seekers at the Border Raises Privacy Concerns appeared first on Immigration Impact.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) issued a new memorandum on May 27 that provides guidance on how its attorneys can and should exercise prosecutorial discretion. In the memo, which was made public on Friday, the lead government attorney for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in immigration […]

The post DHS Issues New Guidance for Government Attorneys in Immigration Court Proceedings appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled this week in Sanchez v. Mayorkas that people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) who entered the United States unlawfully are ineligible to obtain a green card in most cases. The decision has a devastating effect on thousands of long-time TPS holders who are now left without the […]

The post Supreme Court Denies TPS Holders a Chance at Permanent Status appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In this blog post, Sarah Owings shares the realities of what immigration detainees face and why she wants "you to push for fair and humane ways to process people's' immigration paperwork, outside of detention" so the detention machine can be shut down entirely.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)  and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on May 28 the creation of a new “Dedicated Docket” in immigration court for the claims of asylum-seeking families. The goal of this new “rocket docket” is to complete most new cases within 300 days. A previous rocket docket implemented by the […]

The post New ‘Dedicated Docket’ Could Rush Asylum-Seeking Families Through Court appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In two unanimous decisions, the Supreme Court has rejected rules that provided protections for immigrants. The rejected rules came from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, a court with a reputation as a liberal stronghold. It is the largest of all the federal courts of appeals. In United States v. Palomar-Santiago, the […]

The post Supreme Court Rejects Two Ninth Circuit Decisions That Protected Immigrants appeared first on Immigration Impact.

In this blog post, AILA Government Relations Directors Gregory Chen and Sharvari Dalal-Dheini highlight the mixed messages and missed opportunities on immigration issues in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget released by President Biden.