Immigration Law

Underreporting makes notario fraud difficult to fight

Immigration legal-services fraud is extremely underreported, advocates say. One potential solution: making victims of immigration legal-services fraud more comfortable coming forward.

May 1, 2018 12:25 AM CDT

Leave immigration law precedent on asylum for crime victims intact, ABA urges in amicus brief

The United States should continue to make asylum available for victims of crimes that aren’t being addressed by immigrants’ home countries, the ABA says in an amicus brief filed April 27.

Apr 30, 2018 7:30 AM CDT

ABA president applauds Justice Department decision to keep immigrant education program during review

ABA President Hilarie Bass is applauding the Justice Department’s decision to keep in place a legal information program for detained immigrants during a review of its effectiveness.

Apr 25, 2018 3:19 PM CDT

Will swing voter Kennedy uphold Trump’s travel ban? Oral arguments show support for US position

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy indicated support for President Donald Trump’s authority to institute his travel ban during oral arguments on Wednesday.

Apr 25, 2018 12:49 PM CDT

A third federal judge rules against DACA phaseout, but goes further than two previous judges

A third federal judge has ruled against the phaseout of a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as minors, but he has gone further to protect the program than the two other judges. Previous rulings required the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to accept applications for renewal of…

Apr 25, 2018 8:54 AM CDT

7th Circuit upholds nationwide injunction barring grant holdbacks for sanctuary cities

A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a nationwide injunction that barred the U.S. Justice Department from withholding public safety grants from sanctuary cities that don’t cooperate in immigration enforcement.

Apr 19, 2018 3:16 PM CDT

ABA president calls for restructuring of immigration courts to increase independence

ABA President Hilarie Bass called for an overhaul of the immigration court system in testimony Wednesday afternoon before a Senate subcommittee.

Apr 18, 2018 8:58 AM CDT

Gorsuch joins liberal justices to strike law authorizing deportation for some ‘crimes of violence’

A provision in a federal law authorizing deportation of immigrants convicted of a crime of violence is unconstitutionally vague, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a 5-4 decision. Justice Elena Kagan announced the judgment of the court. Her opinion was joined in full by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen…

Apr 17, 2018 10:44 AM CDT

ABA condemns suspension of Justice Department’s Legal Orientation Program for immigrants

ABA President Hilarie Bass says the ABA is “deeply disturbed” that the Justice Department has suspended funding for a “know your rights” program for immigrants, an ABA press release said Wednesday.

Apr 11, 2018 2:30 PM CDT

Homeland Security wants to track ‘media influencers’ worldwide

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seeking contractors who can compile a searchable database of “media influencers” that will allow the agency to monitor social media and traditional news sources.

Apr 9, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Sessions announces ‘zero-tolerance policy’ in response to jump in illegal border crossings

Updated: Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Friday a “zero-tolerance policy” for illegal entry and attempted legal entry into the country.

Apr 6, 2018 3:50 PM CDT

Justice Department imposes quotas on immigration judges, provoking independence concerns

The Justice Department on Friday announced that immigration judges’ job performance will be evaluated according to how quickly they close cases, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Apr 2, 2018 6:31 PM CDT

Chemerinsky: The travel ban and the Supreme Court

No case on the docket this year is likely to be more important than Trump v. Hawaii, which involves the legality of President Donald Trump’s travel ban. The case will be heard on the last day of arguments for the term, Wednesday, April 25.

Apr 2, 2018 8:30 AM CDT

Could Canada be a haven for ‘Dreamers’?

Under current Canadian immigration rules, it wouldn’t be impossible for DACA recipients to find legal status in Canada—but it would be difficult, said Andres Pelenur, a founding partner of the Toronto-based Borders Law Firm and a specialist in citizenship and immigration law.

Apr 1, 2018 1:15 AM CDT

Immigration backlog grows as Trump administration curtails administrative closures

The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration extends to increased opposition to administrative case closures in which judges indefinitely pause lower-priority deportation cases. Prosecutors with U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement appealed less than 1 percent of administrative case closures during the last four years of the Obama administration, while immigration…

Mar 30, 2018 3:07 PM CDT