Farewell (Perhaps?) Mr. Wolf. Hello Secretary Mayorkas!
In this blog post AILA SoCal Chapter Media Liaison John Manley takes a stab at breaking down the tenure of Chad Wolf as Acting Secretary of DHS and the back and forth during the end of the Trump administration as we look forward to new leadership at the agency.
Trump Pardons Border Patrol Agents Bringing A Familiar Pain for Our Border Communities
Andrew Nietor, chair of AILA’s Southern Border Taskforce, shares insights into President Trump’s recent pardon of former Border Patrol agents and the harmful impact of this and other actions by his administration on border communities.
Hopes for 2021 and the New Administration
Several members of the AILA Media Advocacy Committee shared their hopes for the incoming administration and what next year may bring, including changes both large and small to make our immigration system more fair and just.
An Immigrant’s Reflection on the 2020 Election Results
AILA member Paschal O. Nwokocha shares his insights as an immigrant and immigration attorney about the work to be done post-election and how we all can work together to ensure that “America is once more open to the world.”
Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency? More like an Administrative Strip Search
AILA member Kara Hart takes a look at the new I-944 Declaration of Self-Sufficiency required to meet the new “public charge” rule and considers whether she’d be able to meet the requirements herself.
Defending Freedom Needs More Than Heroes – Governments Must Be Accountable
In this blog post, AILA Director of Government Relations Greg Chen calls for change as he describes the dichotomy with how the Venezuelan opposition leader was hailed at the State of the Union and how vulnerable Venezuelan asylum seekers are treated at the border.
After AILA Attends Tour of the Laredo Tent Court, Questions Still Abound
In this blog post, Greg Chen, Leidy Perez-Davis, and Katy Murdza report back on the recently offered tour of tent court facilities in Texas as well as why AILA remains deeply concerned about lack of due process and urges the administration to “end the use of tent courts and the Remain in Mexico program.”
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.”
Resolve to Do Pro Bono – One Attorney’s Experience
AILA member Kursten Phelps shares a recent volunteer experience with asylum seekers and urges that we all resolve to engage, writing, “There are naturalization clinics to staff, border assistance projects to plug into, translations, remote CFI and bond hearing assistance to support.”
The Travel Ban – Iran as an Example of Why the Administration Should Revisit This Cruel Policy
AILA BOG member Ally Bolour describes the impact of the administration’s travel ban, using the example of Iran to show how and why the ban is “cruel and unnecessary.” He urges everyone to “continue to fight against it for all those impacted, their families, American businesses, and our communities.”
