We Must Right the Wrongs Being Committed in Our Name on Our Southern Border
AILA Asylum Committee Vice Chair Lindsay Harris describes the asylum seekers she met with just before the COVID-19 pandemic really began in the U.S. She encourages us all to take action and “right the wrongs being committed in our name on our Southern border.”
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.”
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.
An Inside Look – Tips from a Clinical Social Worker Helping Asylum Seekers
Psychological evaluations can be hugely important for vulnerable clients’ cases, but attorneys may have some questions about how best to approach having one done. In this blog post, Jocelyn Dyer shares helpful tips from Aimee Miller, a clinical social worker.
The Truth About our Immigration Court System
AILA Second Vice President Jeremy McKinney describes why an independent immigration court is so desperately needed and shares resources related to his recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee Immigration Subcommittee about this issue.
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.”
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.”
They/Them/Ours
In this blog post, part of the Diversity and Inclusion Blog Post series, AILA Member Sarah Pitney describes how taking 30 seconds to discuss pronouns with a client or colleague can ensure your firm is more welcoming and inclusive.
Eyes on the Border but Shut Out of the Tent Courts
In this blog post, AILA leaders share insights from the border delegation where they witnessed the terrible impact of the Remain in Mexico policy, urging “more coordination among advocates, more aggressive litigation in each immigration courtroom, more petitions and class actions…”
