2021 has been quite a year; one that has kept so many of us further apart geographically but  has also brought us together even more in the virtual space –whether via online conferences, videos, blog posts,or other community resources.  

 The AILA Comms Team wanted to take a moment and look back on the subjects that brought the most people together online, both on our YouTube channel and the Think Immigration blog. Note that many of the short Immigration Update videos were also posted directly to social media and have many more thousands of views there 

 Our five most popular video topics on the YouTube channel in 2021:  

  1. Biden’s First 100 Days was a big draw with Immigration Update: What to Expect Next Week” featuring Greg Chen and Update on Biden Administration’s Executive Orders on Immigration” featuring Jennifer Minear
  2. Reconciliation and the back and forth on immigration reform also drew a lot of notice, with “Immigration Update: Dream Act of 2021” featuring Greg. “Immigration Update: What to Expect from Senate on Immigration” featuring Kate Voigt was next, along with “Immigration Update: Build Back Better Act” and “AILA Quicktake #308 – Budget Reconciliation Process Explained
  3. AILA Director of Federal Litigation Jesse Bless was in the third spot with “Immigration Update: Gomez v. Trump Litigation” and “Immigration Update: 2020 Diversity Visas
  4. Jesse also shared his expertise in the next spot on our list: “Immigration Update: Immigrant Visa Ban Is Revoked
  5. And finally, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas was the keynote speaker at the AILA Annual Conference 2021: Alejandro N. Mayorkas’ Keynote Speech 

 The most popular blog posts of 2021 on Think Immigration: 

  1. America Closed for Immigration: the Covid-19 Visa Backlog by Dominique Pando Bucci looked at the huge impact that backlogs have had on families, businesses, and individuals during the pandemic and highlighted the recommendations AILA has made to address them. 
  2. It Should Have Been A Better “Day” on Immigration by Jesse Bless focused on where the Biden administration should have done more to address so many Trump-era immigration policies on “Immigration Day”  
  3. Immigrant Healthcare Workers Are Essential to the U.S. Comeback by Aaron Kochenderfer looks at the immense need to change immigration laws and policy in order to build and maintain the healthcare workforce we need. 
  4. Iranians Forced Into Military Service Face Immigration Blockade by Scott Emerick looks at how policy needs to change so that forced mandatory service for the Iranian military doesn’t upend someone’s case down the road. 
  5. Our Immigration Laws Were Last Updated Before the Internet was a Thing by Tammy Lin takes a close look at the decades that have passed since we last had real immigration reform, and how necessary changes have been sidelined and ignored. 

We hope to see you here on Think Immigration, and also on our YouTube channel in 2022!