"Key business, economic development and agriculture leaders...emphatically said we need our immigrants. Even more than we have now, with legal pathways to work, if not citizenship." https://bit.ly/4bq1GOw

Heather Hogan, AILA Policy and Practice Counsel, writes for The Well News: "Afghan evacuees...want safety and a chance to succeed. The administration must show them — and the world — what it means to be American by welcoming them and helping them thrive." https://bit.ly/4qOdBKL

"Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland on Thursday, a day after an officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota." https://bit.ly/3YwiPi8

"ICE agents have altered license plates and placed Mexican flag stickers on their vehicles to try to lure and detain people, NPR reported. And now, Oregon utilities are taking steps to ensure their customers don’t mistake ICE agents for their employees." https://bit.ly/4bpJsNd

Former SF Judge Dana Leigh Marks "said she’s heard from current immigration attorneys that when the judge presiding over their client’s cases has been fired, their court dates have been removed from the docket and pushed back by up to three or four years." https://bit.ly/4ptCcU0

"Dulce Consuelo Díaz Morales, who was arrested by ICE in Baltimore on Dec. 14, was reunited with her family after almost a month in ICE custody, according to Zachary Perez." https://bit.ly/4srJIS5

"Incidents in which federal agents either shot someone or held individuals at gunpoint during immigration enforcement operations carried out under Donald Trump’s crackdown. As of 7 January, it identified 28 incidents overall, including the 14 shootings." https://bit.ly/3Z39HSc

"There were 21 judges at San Francisco’s two immigration court locations...There will be just four left by the end of January 2026...There are over 120,000 pending cases in San Francisco’s immigration court backlog." https://bit.ly/44YN5pq

A life was lost in Minneapolis today, and that alone demands pause and accountability. No immigration operation should end in death. This tragedy is a direct result of ICE using excessive force as part of a campaign of fear and intimidation in targeted communities.

"The Trump administration will reduce legal immigration, increase deportations and limit the hiring of H-1B visa holders in 2026...Additional policies are expected to restrict employers, universities and immigrants." https://bit.ly/3Ytyuyz

The 7th edition of Litigating Immigration Cases in Federal Court breaks down the latest SCOTUS rulings that have redefined the scope of judicial review and gives you strategies to defend your clients in an increasingly hostile legal environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDpTXl4LyQg

"The District Court for the District of Columbia case is one of multiple legal challenges to DHS’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, stripping lawful status and work authorization for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants in the US." https://bit.ly/49JrFPG

"It’s unclear if ICE will target farm workers as it ramps up enforcement, but White House Border Czar Tom Homan told Reuters that immigration arrests will 'explode greatly next year,' and that enforcement would 'absolutely' hit workplaces." https://bit.ly/4qLfA2p

As we begin a new year, AILA Board of Governors member Andrew Nietor calls on America to “commit to a healthier democracy, a more productive community, and a more compassionate society.” Read more on #ThinkImmigration https://bit.ly/4jpTDmU

"Only people living outside of the U.S. can apply for refugee status, which DHS acknowledged in response to questions about Noem’s Sunday statements. In late October, the Trump administration slashed refugee admissions to a 7,500 annual cap." https://bit.ly/4pv5Ubg

ICE "will be sending 1,500 deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations as well as 600 agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the officials said. Some of the officers and agents began arriving Sunday." https://nbcnews.to/44YjnRu

"While the man's wife and two older sons successfully applied for permission to remain in the country, at least for now, he and his daughter, instead, face deportation." https://bit.ly/4slUnh7

NEW: AILA member Muhammed Üzüm explains why talking with candidates & employers about cap-independent options such as O-1 & L-1 visas that may fit their circumstances is crucial given the uncertainty surrounding the cost & timing of H-1B visa petitions.

"More than 300 federal judges, including appointees of every president since Ronald Reagan, have now rebuffed the administration’s six-month-old effort to expand its so-called 'mandatory detention' policy." https://politi.co/4purJHT

"USCIS said it would pause the review of all pending applications for visas, green cards, citizenship or asylum from immigrants from the additional countries. The memo also outlines plans to re-review applications of immigrants from these countries." https://n.pr/4qwWkFA

"Federal officials have canceled a growing number of naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies in the Twin Cities in recent months, throwing the citizenship process in turmoil for many Minnesota green-card holders." https://bit.ly/4jqU8gM

"Yet, neighbors saw immigration agents detain day laborers, construction and landscaping workers and street vendors, mothers and fathers...Federal agents often used violent and unlawful tactics during the operations, advocates and lawyers said." https://bit.ly/490VMlt

"When President Donald Trump returned to office, approximately 39,000 people were in ICE custody. By year's end, that number surged to more than 65,000 detainees — surpassing the previous record of 50,200 people held per day on average." https://bit.ly/4qsXXnF

"Those from nations included on a travel ban list announced by Donald Trump last summer were then excluded from taking part [in their scheduled US citizenship ceremony], despite having completed the years-long vetting process." https://bit.ly/3YPgcbb

"Elvira...is just one step away from receiving her green card. But more than a month after a judge agreed to grant her permanent residence pending a background check, she was still sitting in an ICE detention facility...where she has spent half of 2025." https://bit.ly/4pTnqqw

"Since Inauguration Day, more than 1.5 million immigrants have either lost or will lose their temporary legal status, including their work authorizations and deportation protections, due to President Trump’s aggressive revocation of legal immigration." https://bit.ly/49yu2EX

"U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria’s ruling...allows ICE to use Medicaid data in deportation cases beginning Jan. 6. The agency had been blocked from doing so for months amid a legal challenge from blue states." https://politi.co/4pTmYsk

"Contrary to the president’s rhetoric, undocumented immigrants often hold jobs that employers struggle to fill with US workers. The country’s economy relies on essential workers in those industries, including agriculture & food, construction, hospitality." https://bit.ly/3LjcVxI

ICE " is buying millions of dollars’ worth of new surveillance tools at the same time President Trump has scaled back protections for use of civilian data [which] could lead to a vast expansion of domestic surveillance that goes far beyond immigrants." https://politi.co/4aHaD61

"A pillar of the Oregon wine industry, Sotelo’s arrest sparked a national outcry and a flood of community support. But that wasn’t enough to stop Sotelo from being deported to Mexico in July. Alondra’s mother, Irma, soon voluntarily left to join him." https://bit.ly/4pkObmP

New edition alert! Updated Family Immigration procedures, step-by-step form instructions, and practical tips on included. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/4p7hmcQ

"Duperval is preparing to be sent back to his home country, where political, economic and environmental crises have made life dangerous and unstable. Though he currently holds TPS...Duperval is caught up in a challenge that...offers no good path forward." https://bit.ly/4jjMTH9

"Companies nationwide are scrambling to determine their next steps, rewriting travel guidance for foreign workers, and lining up backup staffing plans, including shifting some work overseas." https://bit.ly/4995bWV

"The Trump administration is seeking contractors to help it overhaul the United States’ immigrant detention system in a plan that includes renovating industrial warehouses to hold more than 80,000 immigrant detainees at a time." https://wapo.st/4axtwZ4

"A surge of enforcement in Columbus by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the past week has created turmoil there and angered local leaders, who find their city the latest target of the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign." https://nyti.ms/4qtlR2E

"The Trump administration has finalized a controversial immigration rule that will significantly change the H-1B selection process to favor individuals in senior positions...Business and university groups are expected to challenge the rule in court." https://bit.ly/4p8ZhLk

"The Women’s Refugee Commission, and Physicians for Human Rights, claim that over half of the newly-arrived migrants they spoke with in Honduras said they were not given the option of bringing their children with them." https://bit.ly/4pPvkRH

"A federal judge on Monday said the U.S. government denied due process to the Venezuelan men it deported to a prison in El Salvador in March after President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act." https://n.pr/3Nf1R5b

"A fresh visa appointment may not even be available within the applicant’s current H-1B validity period, according to Kate Angustia, AILA Supervisory Policy and Practice Counsel. 'This will be a significant challenge for H-1B workers [and] US employers.'" https://bit.ly/4p4QVEz

"Really what they're doing is creating such fear in the community that people are afraid to pursue their rights," said AILA member Jan Bejar. "People are afraid to file for adjustment, people are afraid to go to their interviews." https://bit.ly/4pLQb8B

"This article sets out to address the concerning practice of treating state juvenile justice system records the same as adult records in federal immigration proceedings." By Sarah Diaz, Jessica Heldman, Lisa Jacobs & Sierra Garcia in the #AILALawJournal https://bit.ly/3JfwpT5

"The Trump administration has also been busy revoking legal status for immigrants who entered the country through legal pathways — affecting at least 1.6 million people — by canceling programs and protections like...humanitarian parole and student visas." https://n.pr/4qlzj8m

"Her family has now been told she has been deported, despite US District Judge Brendan Hurson ruling Thursday that she could not be deported pending a hearing...attorneys said Monday that they have...confirm[ed] with the hospital she was born in Maryland." https://bit.ly/3MMdJvz

The House passed H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, and the Senate is now considering the legislation as S. 3054. Urge your Senators to protect children and vote NO by using AILA’s advocacy tool. https://bit.ly/4b4L7Yh

"Through its travel ban, the Trump administration has halted the legal immigration process for roughly 20% of people in the system, according to a review from the CATO Institute." https://bit.ly/4pQmlzG

"The government spends $3,500 per individual self-deportation...But critics argue there are other prices attached, both financial and personal...For one, immigrants are thought to contribute nearly $580 billion per year in taxes." https://bit.ly/3YaMj4T

"Administration officials say they plan to hire thousands more agents, open new detention centers, pick up more immigrants in local jails and partner with outside companies to track down people without legal status." https://reut.rs/4q06Rcz

NEW: AILA President Jeff Joseph responds to the Trump Administration's recent immigration changes, including the expansion of the ban, widespread cancellations of citizenship oath ceremonies, and halt to the Diversity Visa program. https://bit.ly/48WFVod

"NPR identified at least 16 shuttered facilities across a dozen states that have reopened as Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers since President Trump took office in January. Most were state or federal prisons." https://n.pr/4pPlBuS

The Remarkable Immigration Stories Of Nobel Prize Winners Omar Yaghi And Joel Mokyr, Former Soldier Helps Vietnamese Refugees Overcome Immigration Obstacles, and many more in Forbes "The Most Inspiring Immigration Stories Of 2025" by Stuart Anderson. https://bit.ly/4aUqPk7