Think Immigration - American Immigration Lawyers' Association

AILA member Tony Drago describes the impact of using video rather than in-person hearings, writing that while "In 2022, EOIR issued guidance to immigration judges on the use of virtual hearings, but far more clear guidance and standards are needed to ensure fairness."

The post Practicing Law in TV Land first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Maria Montenegro-Bernardo shares her story as a Venezuelan immigrant and urges all of us to embrace the diversity around us, because by doing so we will encourage innovation and advancement.

The post Aisle Five and Proud: The Diversity of the United States first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA member Vaman Kidambi describes the challenges AILA members and others have shared about the expedited roll-out of the new PERM application form, and urges the Department of Labor to slow the roll-out in order to address valid concerns.

The post Here We Go Again! Expedited Roll Out of New PERM Application Could Make Already Complicated Process Worse first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

Amy Grenier explains how the use of Title 42 to effectively end asylum at the southern border allowed two administrations to essentially put border management on a bureaucratic credit card, allowing Congress to ignore its obligations to pass real, holistic and meaningful reform.

The post The Bill Left by Title 42 is Due. With Interest. first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

Amy Grenier, Jennifer Whitlock, and Taylor Levy share their insights into what the end of Title 42 is expected to bring, urging the Biden administration to protect vulnerable asylum seekers by ensuring meaningful access to asylum and legal counsel under both international and national asylum law.

The post Looking into the Crystal Ball: What Do We Expect With the End of Title 42? first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Scholarship winner Alejandro Alvarado describes how U.S. immigration policy affects Indian Tribes and Indigenous Peoples, particularly "indigenous mobility, family separation, and border security."

The post Impact of U.S. Immigration Policy on Indigenous Peoples and Tribes first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA member Careen Shannon writes about her role as executive producer of the new Las Abogadas documentary, writing that she hopes the film is "a new way to educate people about our country’s fractured immigration system, while simultaneously sharing some stories of hope and redemption.”

The post The Impact of Immigration Attorneys on the Big Screen: “LAS ABOGADAS” first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

In this blog post, AILA Associate Director of Volunteer Engagement Jerrica Stovall shares why AILA volunteers make such a difference for the organization and highlights the appreciation all of AILA has for the time and energy AILA member volunteers give AILA.

The post Celebrating AILA’s Volunteers and Their Impact first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA member Hudaidah Bhimdi shares insights into the meaning of the month of Ramadan to her as a busy immigration attorney, and how this month of reflection and joy helps her find balance as she works to help her clients access justice.

The post Finding My Balance During Ramadan first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Scholarship winner Brenda Quintanilla delineates the history and impact of DACA and efforts to pass the DREAM Act, urging advocates to continue pushing Congress to pass legislation, writing “America has a gambling problem and undocumented/DACAmented people are treated like poker chips.”

The post DACA Recipients Stuck Picking Up Crumbs Left by the DREAM Act’s Failure first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA Asylum and Protection Committee member Randall Chamberlain highlights the harm the recent renewal of the U.S - Canada "Safe Third Country Agreement" will cause, writing "the expanded treaty will force thousands of refugees underground and...lead to many more deaths of people fleeing from persecution."

The post The Safe Third Country Agreement Should Be Ended, not Expanded first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA's Jen Whitlock recently visited an immigration detention facility and left knowing that the harm caused, despite protective standards, is unacceptable. She urges everyone to tell Congress to significantly reduce detention funding for ICE and explicitly prohibit funding for family detention.

The post Protective Standards Aren’t Enough, Congress Needs to Cut Detention Funding first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Melissa McElroy describes how “immigrants with or without status are at an enormous disadvantage when they face immigration proceedings without an attorney” and how state and federal legislation aims to expand legal representation programs.

The post Legal Representation for Immigrants Protects Their Rights first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA’s Practice and Professionalism Center highlights a few recent “Pro Bono High Fives,” featuring AILA members, to inspire and encourage others to use their legal expertise to change lives, and maybe have some fun too!

The post Why Finding Your Pro Bono Opportunity Can Help YOU first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship winner Woorod Atiyat urges Congress to turn away from harmful legislation and instead "rise to its responsibility and serve as protectors of the immigrant community and our country’s values of fairness and justice."

The post We Need Humane Solutions, Not Harmful Legislation first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA member Marisabel Alonso encourages all current law students interested in immigration law to take advantage of the many benefits of AILA's free law student membership and how those benefits can help them during law school and beyond as they become practitioners.

The post Free and Freeing: AILA’s Law Student Membership first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

Karen Hill, co-leader of AILA's Women in Immigration Law Interest Group (WMIG) shares information about International Women's Day and urges everyone to find ways to #EmbraceEquity today; AILA members can join the WMIG and other listservs through myAILA.

The post A Call to Action on International Women’s Day 2023 first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA member Peter Choi urges USCIS to expand on its recent CSPA guidance and similarly update its guidance on transfer-of-underlying-basis requests, which would help many families and serve the goals stated in USCIS’ FYs 2023-2026 Strategic Plan.

The post USCIS’ Updated CSPA Guidance and Transferring Underlying Basis first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

Linda Evarts and Jen Whitlock urge the Biden Administration to review the Obama-era Central American Minors (CAM) parole program as it expands the use of parole to other populations, noting the lack of resources and attention to the implementation of the program has kept families separated.

The post An Under-Resourced Obama-Era Refugee and Parole Program Could Be A Safe and Legal Pathway Too first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.

AILA DEI Law Student Scholarship recipient Gerardo Villegas Juarez knows firsthand the liminality experienced by DACA recipients, writing "DACA remains a temporary solution…DACA opens the door but also tethers you to the prospect of removal."

The post Facing Challenges: DACAmented and Undocumented Attorneys Practice Immigration Law in Liminality first appeared on Blog: Think Immigration.