Immigration Law

Immigrants illegally entering the country experience ‘rapid-fire justice’ in federal courts

Seventy-four immigrants who entered the country illegally pleaded guilty in groups of seven on a recent Monday in a federal courtroom In Tucson, Arizona, where the New York Times observed their cases. Most of the immigrants experiencing “rapid-fire justice” were sentenced to time served in jail—usually just a few days—and…

Jun 19, 2018 1:43 PM CDT

Want to stop separation of immigrant families? ABA plans grassroots effort, while new group forms

ABA President Hilarie Bass says Congress should pass legislation to stop separation of immigrant families, and she is directing like-minded individuals to an ABA Grassroots Action website that helps them make their voices heard.

Jun 19, 2018 1:24 PM CDT

Is it true? Denying family separation policy is ‘Orwellian stuff,’ newspaper’s fact check says

There is no policy of separating children from their parents at the border, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

While there are no written regulations that establish a policy of family separations, Nielsen’s claim is “Orwellian stuff,” according to the Washington Post.

Jun 19, 2018 12:31 PM CDT

Separating families violates civil rights, won’t work and is inhumane, ABA president says

A letter written by ABA President Hilarie Bass reiterates the association's strong opposition to the Justice Department’s month-old practice of separating families at the border.

Jun 12, 2018 12:52 PM CDT

Sessions bars most asylum claims for immigrants fleeing domestic and gang violence

Immigrants are generally not eligible for asylum as a result of domestic violence and gang violence in their home countries, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ruled on Monday.

Jun 11, 2018 4:03 PM CDT

Does law requiring immigration cooperation run afoul of sports betting decision? Judge thinks so

A federal law requiring local governments to cooperate in immigration enforcement violates the anti-commandeering doctrine cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on sports betting, a federal judge says in a decision that requires the Justice Department to release grant money to the city of Philadelphia.

Jun 7, 2018 5:12 PM CDT

Separating asylum-seeking immigrant families violates due process rights, federal judge says

Separating asylum-seeking mothers from their children is brutal, offensive and a violation of the due process clause, according to a federal judge in San Diego.

Jun 7, 2018 3:32 PM CDT

Deloitte UK forms alliance with immigration law firm and buys its business outside the US

Deloitte’s British arm is forming an alliance with a U.S. immigration law firm and buying its operations and assets outside the United States. The deal between Deloitte UK and Berry Appleman & Leiden is evidence of a push by the Big Four accounting firms into legal services, Law.com reports. The…

Jun 6, 2018 9:18 AM CDT

UN human rights office calls on Trump administration to stop separating immigrant families

The office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights has called on the United States to immediately stop its practice of separating families at the border, calling it “a serious violation of the rights of the child.”

Jun 5, 2018 3:58 PM CDT

Supreme Court vacates decision in oft-relisted teen abortion case; ACLU lawyers not sanctioned

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated a federal appeals court decision that allowed a 17-year-old immigrant to get an abortion while being held in a shelter for immigrants who are in the country illegally. The court accepted the case and vacated the decision, saying the issue was moot because…

Jun 4, 2018 12:26 PM CDT

ABA succeeds in key efforts to protect rights, ensure fairness in immigration process

The ABA quickly mobilized to focus attention on the Legal Orientation Program, which provides critical legal information to adults in immigration detention centers. The decision to “pause” the program was rescinded just 10 days after it was announced. The Justice Department will look at the program, and the ABA will watch closely to ensure the study is conducted fairly.

Jun 1, 2018 1:10 AM CDT

Forcibly separating families ‘violates basic standards of human decency,’ ABA president says

Separating immigrant children from their parents at the southern border is "unnecessarily cruel" and the ABA "strongly opposes" the policy, ABA President Hilarie Bass said in a statement Wednesday. “Separating children from their parents not only violates due process, it is antithetical to the very human values on which this country was founded and sets a terrible example for the rest of the world,” the statement says. “It should be stopped immediately.”

May 30, 2018 3:13 PM CDT

Trump questions need for immigration trials, says system is ‘corrupt’ and will be changed

President Donald Trump said the immigration system is “corrupt” and questioned the need for trials. In an interview with Fox News that aired Thursday,” Trump said the United States has “the worst immigration laws in the whole world” and he wanted to get rid of the system of “catch and…

May 24, 2018 4:30 PM CDT

‘I am not a racist,’ lawyer says after viral rant about Spanish-speakers

A New York lawyer who ranted about Spanish-speaking employees on a viral video says in a Twitter apology he is “deeply sorry” for his behavior. Aaron Schlossberg said seeing himself online made him realize that “the manner in which I expressed myself is unacceptable and is not the person I…

May 23, 2018 11:59 AM CDT

Supreme Court justices relist abortion case multiple times

U.S. Supreme Court justices have been considering whether to hear a case involving an immigrants teen’s abortion—multiple times.

May 21, 2018 7:05 AM CDT