Immigration Benefits and Relief
The immigration laws and regulations provide some avenues to apply for lawful status from within the U.S. or to seek relief from deportation. The eligibility requirements for these benefits and relief can be stringent, and the immigration agencies often adopt overly restrictive interpretations of the requirements. Learn about advocacy and litigation that has been and can be undertaken to ensure that noncitizens have a fair chance to apply for the benefits and relief for which they are eligible. Providing avenues for legal status, protection, and family reunification is vital to ensuring humanitarian protection for immigrants. We are leading policy changes that open more opportunities like asylum, visas for victims of crime or human trafficking, and relief for long-term residents. Explore the resources below to learn more.
Jeff Sessions Affirms Anti-Immigrant Views at Confirmation Hearing
Senator Jeff Sessions, who has been nominated to be Attorney General by President-elect Donald Trump, endured a 10-and-a-half-hour confirmation hearing this week where he answered questions on a wide range of issues from voting rights and immigration to anti-trust litigation. During his time in the Senate, Sessions has… Read More
Bill to Protect DACA Recipients Reintroduced in Congress
Bipartisan legislation was introduced today in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate called The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, which would provide work authorization and relief from deportation for three years to individuals who are eligible for the Deferred Action… Read More
Five Things to Look for on Immigration in the 115th Congress
When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in later this month, for the first time in a decade, the Republican Party will have control of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the Presidency. In theory, this control allows the Congress to pass and help implement many of the incoming… Read More
Ending DACA Comes With Costs to Business and Government
In June of 2012, President Obama used his authority to provide protection from deportation and work authorization to certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. In the ensuing four years, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has proven enormously successful for the 740,000 individuals who… Read More
Bipartisan Bill to Protect DACA Recipients Introduced
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill on Friday to temporarily protect individuals eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Senators Durbin (D-IL), Feinstein (D-CA), Graham (R-SC), and Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, which would… Read More
Colleges Rally to the Defense of Undocumented Students
Among the many things President-elect Donald Trump has promised is undo President Obama’s executive action protecting young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, also known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). What happens next is complicated. It’s easy to talk about deporting these… Read More
Voluntary Departure Rule: Q&A
This Q&A informs lawyers about some of the most important aspects of the December 18, 2008 voluntary departure rules adopted by Executive Office for Immigration Review.
Matter of Castillo Angulo – BIA
The Council, along with amici the University of Houston Law Center, AILA, and others, submitted a brief in response to a request from the Board of Immigration Appeals, arguing that lawful permanent residents who were initially admitted to the United States after being waved through a port of entry were eligible for cancellation of removal on the grounds that they had been “admitted in any status,” a requirement of the cancellation statute. Read More
Supreme Court Won’t Rehear Executive Action on Immigration — What’s Next?
This week, the United States Supreme Court declined to rehear arguments in United States v Texas, the case challenging expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). This means that the Fifth Circuit’s decision upholding the district court’s… Read More
Calls for Temporary Protected Status for Central American Countries Continue to Grow
Calls for the U.S. Government to designate El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras for temporary protected status (TPS) have continued to grow louder this week as over 100 law professors and nearly 400 civil, faith, immigrant, labor rights, and legal services organizations urged the President to use TPS to… Read More
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