Sometimes You Just Have to Take ‘Em to Court
AILA First Vice President Jeremy McKinney describes his first foray into litigation, and what tools and resources can help AILA members litigate and win cases, writing that litigation “can benefit your clients, it can benefit the immigration bar, and ultimately, it can benefit everyone.”
Tools of the (Immigration Law) Trade
In this blog post, AILA past president Kathleen Campbell Walker reflects on her path into immigration law, the complicated nature of the field, and some of the reasons she reads and re-reads the INA/CFR.
Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $1 Billion Dollars Without Changes at USCIS
AILA Director of Government Relations Sharvari Dalal-Dheini shares insights from her time at USCIS related to the agency’s request to Congress for $1.2 billion, and urges Congress to “ensure that the agency is transparent about its spending, accountable for its inefficiencies, and on track towards fiscal responsibility.”
No End in Sight: New Analysis Shows USCIS Case Processing Backlog Keeps Growing
AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson highlights USCIS processing delays, writing, “Even before the COVID-19 virus, backlogs and processing delays were staggering at USCIS. They have continued to grow thanks to burdensome policies and inefficient procedures that needlessly bog down the adjudications process.”
Immigration Judge vs. Passport Agency – the Battle Over Mario’s Citizenship is Finally Over
In this blog post, AILA member Eva Garcia Mendoza describes the lengths she had to go to in order to protect her client Mario after repeated and concerted efforts to deny him the U.S. Citizenship which was rightfully his, noting “Immigration lawyers know that our work changes peoples’ lives.”
For Our Tomorrow, Immigrant Veterans Gave Their Today
This Veterans Day is a good time to reflect on the Trump administration’s policy changes that impact veterans and servicemembers; AILA encourages readers to contact congressional representatives and advocate for simple but immensely important changes to help veterans and their families.
Ten Destructive Measures Advanced Under USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli
In this blog post, AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights ten measures undertaken by USCIS’s Acting Director which “constitute an abandonment of USCIS’s duty to fairly and efficiently facilitate legal immigration” and urges Congress to hold the agency fully accountable.
How to Shrink the USCIS Backlog in One Minute or Less
USCIS leadership recently testified about a backlog reduction plan which, AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd argues, would simply move the goalposts and not solve the backlog at all, writing “We deserve a USCIS that rises to its processing time goals, not one that runs from them.”
But the Royal Baby Actually is a U.S. Citizen…
AILA member John Manley explains why the citizenship of the new British royal baby is even a question, and highlights some of the complexities of U.S. immigration law.
USCIS Acknowledges That Its Own Policies Compound Case Processing Delays
AILA Policy Counsel Jason Boyd highlights data from a recent USCIS response to Congress, noting evidence that “USCIS policies are undermining the agency’s statutory mandate to efficiently process applications and petitions for immigration benefits” and calling for USCIS to be held to account.
