Immigration Law

Afternoon Briefs: Governor seeks Sidney Powell’s disbarment; ex-Davis Polk associate avoids sanctions

Michigan governor seeks disbarment of election lawyers Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking disbarment of Texas lawyer Sidney Powell and three Michigan lawyers for claims made in unsuccessful lawsuits claiming an election fraud conspiracy. Whitmer alleged in a complaint to the State Bar of Texas that Powell “did not just…

Feb 2, 2021 4:55 PM CST

Immigration lawyer sues over seizure of his cellphone at airport

Texas immigration lawyer Adam A. Malik has sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for seizing and retaining his iPhone when he returned to the United States from a trip to Costa Rica.

Jan 28, 2021 3:25 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium; Biden orders private prison phaseout

Federal judge blocks Biden’s deportation moratorium U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton of Texas has blocked President Joe Biden’s moratorium on many deportations. Tipton ruled Tuesday in a Texas lawsuit claiming that the 100-day moratorium violated a pact with the state by the Trump administration. Tipton said he was granting a…

Jan 26, 2021 4:38 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Biden lifts transgender military ban; Boston doesn’t have to fly Christian flag, court says

Biden lifts transgender military ban President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday that lifts the Trump administration’s ban on transgender people in the military. “What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform,” Biden said as he signed the order. (The New York Times,…

Jan 25, 2021 4:27 PM CST

SCOTUS should overturn the ‘return to Mexico’ policy, ABA says in amicus brief

The Trump administration's "remain in Mexico" policy undermines asylum-seekers' right to counsel, due process and ethical standards under the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA told the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday.

Jan 25, 2021 12:22 PM CST

Private prison company must face lawsuit alleging it ran forced labor camps, 5th Circuit rules

A private prison company accused of forcing immigrant detainees to work for no more than $2 per day is not exempt from a ban on forced labor, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

Jan 22, 2021 9:31 AM CST

Biden executive orders affect Trump policies challenged in lawsuits

Executive orders, memoranda and proclamations signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday aim to repeal many Trump administration policies that had been challenged in lawsuits.

Jan 21, 2021 9:54 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Appeals court vacates ‘dirty power’ rule; court employee accused of online threats

DC Circuit Court vacates ‘dirty power’ rule The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit effectively ended the Trump administration’s plan to weaken climate change policies Tuesday when it vacated a “dirty power” rule. The appeals court said the rule, which relaxed restrictions on greenhouse gases, had…

Jan 20, 2021 4:36 PM CST

Then-AG Sessions and DOJ were ‘driving force’ behind policy leading to family separations, report says

The U.S. attorney general’s office was a “driving force” behind a prosecution policy that led to the separation of more than 3,000 immigrant children from their families, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice’s inspector general.

Jan 15, 2021 9:50 AM CST

5 ways to do more pro bono in 2021

For attorneys who want to do more pro bono in 2021, here are five ways to get involved.

Dec 21, 2020 1:52 PM CST

Supreme Court dismisses reapportionment case, says it’s too soon to rule

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a case challenging President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude immigrants in the country illegally from numbers used to determine the number of congressional representatives for each state.

Dec 21, 2020 9:41 AM CST

Persecuted and marginalized: Black LGBTQ immigrants face unique challenges

About eight weeks after the first COVID-19 diagnosis in the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security shut down all immigration ports of entry to nonessential travel, including immigrants arriving to the southern border seeking asylum. But even as the border closure put a halt to the flow of people trying to enter the country, it created new challenges for immigration lawyer Tsion Gurmu.

Dec 9, 2020 9:15 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Student loan reprieve extended; did Giuliani infect state lawmakers?

One more month of student loan forbearance announced by Education Department Student loan forbearance has been extended through Jan. 31, the U.S. Department of Education announced Friday. The offering started in March as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. In August, President Donald Trump directed the…

Dec 7, 2020 4:37 PM CST

Trump administration officials appear to defy court orders, setting a bad precedent, prof says

Judges seem unprepared from the defiance of Trump administration officials who appear to have repeatedly defied court orders, according to a political science professor who researches judicial decision-making.

Dec 4, 2020 3:31 PM CST

Should immigrants here illegally be excluded from census? SCOTUS justices consider delaying decision

During telephone oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, the justices appeared skeptical of President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude immigrants in the country illegally from the census count.

Dec 1, 2020 10:57 AM CST