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.
Plan That Allows DREAMers to Serve in Military Limited
Only a small number of undocumented immigrants could serve in the military after the Obama administration last week announced that young immigrants who qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) can apply through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) program. The military has used MAVNI since… Read More
Conservative Lawmakers Double Down on Deporting DREAMers and Limiting Deferred Action
Before adjourning for their summer recess a month ago, the House passed a partisan supplemental spending bill that had no hope of making it through the Senate. First, it did not provide anywhere near what the White House was requesting in order to deal with the crisis of… Read More
Deferred Action for Undocumented Immigrants Could Add Billions in Taxes to U.S. Economy
There’s no question that improving the United States’ outdated immigration system would help the economy. The Senate-passed immigration bill S. 744 would have, if enacted, reduced the federal budget deficit by approximately $1 trillion over 20 years and led to an increase in wages for U.S. workers. But House leaders… Read More
136 Leading Experts on Immigration Law Agree: President Has Legal Authority to Expand Relief
Washington D.C. — U.S. law professors sent a letter today to the White House stating that President Obama has wide legal authority to make needed changes to immigration enforcement policy. The president is considering how to use his authority to mitigate the damage caused by our dysfunctional immigration system… Read More
Seven Reasons Why Undocumented Immigrants are Rooted in America
With immigration legislation now moribund in Congress, all eyes have turned to the White House to see what sorts of non-legislative fixes to the immigration system might be implemented by the Obama administration. While the administration’s deliberations remain private, it is almost certain that one of the fixes being… Read More
House Fails to Address Problems While Stripping Deportation Relief for Immigrants
The House of Representatives approved two bills Friday night, one that allocated only a fraction of the funds needed to address the humanitarian situation surrounding unaccompanied children and another that strips deportation relief for more than half a million young immigrants. Both passed on largely partisan lines. Read More
Court Approves Settlement in Duran Gonzalez v. DHS; Webinar Tomorrow
Last week, the federal district court issued its final approval of a settlement agreement in a long pending Ninth Circuit-wide class action, Duran Gonzalez v. DHS. This case involves eligibility for adjustment of status under INA § 245(i) (with an accompanying I-212 waiver application) for individuals who previously were… Read More
President Provides Immediate Relief, Creates Architecture for Reform
Washington D.C. – After decades of congressional neglect, tonight President Obama took a crucial and courageous step toward reforming our immigration system. He announced that he will provide immediate relief for many of those impacted by of our broken system, and he… Read More
The Power of DACA Continues to Grow
June 15 marked the two-year anniversary of President Obama’s announcement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program. DACA temporarily defers the deportation of eligible undocumented youth and young adults, and grants them access to renewable two-year work permits and Social Security Numbers. As of March 2014,… Read More
District Court Decides Some TPS Beneficiaries May Finally Become Lawful Permanent Residents
When a massive earthquake leveled much of Haiti, and when civil war broke out in Syria, the U.S. government did not blindly send Haitians and Syrians home to near-certain death. Instead, the government did the humane thing and offered safe haven to nationals of those countries who were here… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar up to $75,000
No one should face the immigration system alone
