Press Releases
AIC Challenges BIA Decision Denying Miranda-like Warnings to Immigrants Under Arrest
Washington, D.C.—On Friday, the American Immigration Council challenged a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruling that immigrants who are arrested without a warrant do not need to receive certain Miranda-like warnings before being interrogated. Under federal regulations, immigration officers must advise such noncitizens of the reason… Read More
The Council Applauds Supreme Court Decision Rejecting Retroactive Application of Immigration Law Provision
Washington, D.C.—Yesterday morning, the Supreme Court issued an important decision, Vartelas v. Holder, No. 10-1211, rejecting the retroactive application of a provision of a law passed by Congress in 1996 that has prevented many lawful permanent residents (LPRs) from returning to the United States after a trip abroad. Citing… Read More
Mocking Humane Immigration Detention Standards
Washington D.C. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on new immigration detention standards recently issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Cynically entitled “Holiday on ICE,” the hearing reflects Chairman Lamar Smith’s allegation that the new standards—which set minimum requirements for medical care, access to counsel,… Read More
Advocates File Suit Against DHS for Refusal to Disclose Records on Enforcement Program
Washington D.C. – Last week, an alliance of national immigration advocacy organizations filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking to compel the release of documents concerning the agency’s Criminal Alien Program (CAP). Seeking greater transparency, the American Immigration Council (AIC) and the Connecticut chapter of the American… Read More
Missouri State Legislature Pursing Budget Busting Solutions to Immigration
Washington D.C. – As Missouri faces a $704 million shortfall in fiscal year 2012, state legislators are currently pursuing a costly and short-sighted anti-immigrant law. Senate Bill 590 is similar to the immigration law passed in Alabama and is currently working its way through the state legislature. The… Read More
En Banc Court Reverses Adverse Holding, Says Immigrants Can Pursue Cases from Outside U.S.
Washington, D.C.- Today, an en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit rejected the government’s attempt to bar noncitizens from seeking to reopen their cases from outside the United States. This is the seventh appellate court to find the “departure bar”—a regulation barring noncitizens from… Read More
The Real Meaning of “Self-Deportation”
Washington D.C. – The term “self-deportation” has found its way into the GOP presidential primary race, with candidate Mitt Romney outlining a vague immigration platform which includes “self-deportation,” or the idea that unauthorized immigrants will voluntarily choose to leave the U.S. if life here is made unbearable enough. While “self-deportation”… Read More
USCIS Takes Steps to Improve Noncitizens’ Access to Legal Counsel
Washington D.C. – During its nine-year history, issues have arisen with respect to restrictions on counsel by the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agencies. Tuesday, in response to calls from the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued immediate,… Read More
Proposed Rule Change Will Unify Families Subject to 3 and 10 Year Bars
Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a proposal to streamline the application process for the spouses and children of U.S. citizens currently eligible for legal permanent resident status, minimizing the amount of time that applicants would have to be separated from their families. Under… Read More
American Immigration Council and Partners Sue U.S. Immigration Agencies Over Asylum “Clock”
Washington, D.C.—Last week, the American Immigration Council’s Legal Action Center (LAC) filed a nationwide class action lawsuit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in federal court in Seattle. The lawsuit alleges widespread problems with the asylum “clock”—the system… Read More
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