News

AILA Pro Bono High Five Q&A With CAIR Coalition Managing Attorney Bradley Jenkins

AILA’s National Pro Bono Committee interviews Chapter Pro Bono Champions, asking them five questions to learn more about how they began doing pro bono work and the impact of their work. 

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Law360: DHS Warns of Reduced Operations With Budget Shortfall

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning it may have to pare back border security initiatives and removal procedures, while green card and asylum backlogs worsen, if Congress doesn't provide additional funding, per a Wednesday email to Law360.

To deal with the budget shortfall, ICE is reportedly considering downsizing its detention capacity and releasing thousands of detained noncitizens in line to be deported. 

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BREAKING: Kathryn Doan and Michael Lukens Promoted to New Leadership Roles at CAIR Coalition

The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition proudly announces the promotion of Kathryn Doan to Chief Executive Officer and Michael Lukens to Executive Director.

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Policy Brief: Continued Detention of Noncitizens Who Win Immigration Relief

This policy brief summarizes ICE’s existing policy and practices for post-relief detention and recommends an updated national policy that will ensure noncitizens who do not have a connection to an alternative country are promptly released from custody upon being granted relief from deportation.
 

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Statement: CAIR Coalition urges Congress and the Biden Administration to reject the Senate supplemental funding bill

Yesterday, a group of Senators released the framework for a deal that is said to make the processing of asylum seekers more efficient. However, in truth, the bill does nothing to address the humanitarian and logistical challenges facing those seeking safety in the United States.  Instead, it would make it virtually impossible for those fleeing life-threatening conditions in their home countries to seek refuge in the United States. 

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The New York Times Letter to the Editor: "How to Fix America's Immigration Crisis"

In this shortsighted essay, the authors propose that “we should require asylum seekers to apply in Mexico or other countries, including their home countries.” As an immigration attorney at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, I can tell you that this idea would be laughable if it were not so frighteningly close to becoming the law.

 

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BREAKING: Members of Congress, 300+ Advocates, and Community Members Travel to D.C. to Demand Senate to Reject Anti-Immigrant Proposal in Senate Negotiations

On Tuesday, January 9, more than 300 advocates traveled across the country and joined Members of Congress and community members to urge Senators to reject anti-immigrant proposals that would gut our asylum system, separate families, and send vulnerable people back to danger. During the rally, Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) stood side by side with asylum seekers, immigration activists, labor and border leaders, and faith leaders at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation to raise their demands. 

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Policy Brief: Community-Based Case Management Programs

Concern is growing over Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) dramatic expansion of its electronic surveillance of noncitizens in our communities through various “Alternatives to Detention” (ATD) programs. ATD includes electronic surveillance using ankle monitors (also known as “ankle shackles”) and other forms of GPS monitoring. 
 

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Statement: Biden's plan for an anti-immigrant deal with Republicans

Last night, media outlets reported that President Biden plans to make “significant compromises” to our immigration system to secure funding for Ukraine and Israel. However, trading the safety of refugees and migrants for military funding is not acceptable.

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Policy Brief: Convention Against Torture

Relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) is even more important now that the Biden administration’s new asylum ban and border regulations have significantly curtailed access to asylum for most individuals who are fleeing for their lives and seeking safety in the United States.

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U.S Senators Must Stand Against Republicans’ Push to End Asylum

Congress must not trade asylum rights away. As a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators continue negotiations on President Biden’s supplemental funding request this week, CAIR Coalition, along with other immigration groups, urge lawmakers to safeguard critical asylum protections. Senate Republicans are holding Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan funding hostage by demanding extreme, lasting changes on immigration policy on the supplemental funding bill, including poison pills that would gut the asylum system and create chaos at the border.

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Proposed Supplemental Border Funding Prioritizes Increased Detention and Quicker Deportations

On October 20th, the Biden Administration submitted a supplemental funding request letter to the House of Representatives, seeking an additional $13.6 billion for more border spending. The Administration requested that $8.7 billion of this funding be directed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  The DHS budget for 2024 has already exceeded $103 billion prior to this supplemental request. 

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BREAKING: New Partnership to Support Immigrant Children

Today, Capital Area Immigrants' Rights (CAIR) Coalition is pleased to announce a new partnership with Baby2Baby to support immigrant children and their families. This collaboration will assist both immigrant children who arrive in the United States without a parent or guardian and immigrant families who may have a primary adult caregiver in immigration detention.

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Report: Representing Detained Clients in the Virtual Legal Landscape

Although the height of the pandemic has waned, the legal profession has been forever changed. Remote representation is now, and will continue to be, a critical part of any legal practice.

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Law360: Choice Of Law Still Murky After BIA Tied it to Charging Court

A Board of Immigration Appeals decision in March tying jurisdiction to the immigration court where charging documents are filed has attorneys saying nearly five months later that it left several key issues around choice of law unresolved. 

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BREAKING: Legal Advocates Celebrated for Advancing Immigrant Justice in the Capital Region and Beyond

Advocates, community allies, and pro bono partners are recognized for their efforts in fighting for the rights of immigrant children and adults in detention and at risk of deportation in the Capital region and beyond. 

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Washington Post letter to the editor: Youngkin sending National Guard to the border makes little sense

How often does U.S. Customs and Border Protection find fentanyl on migrants crossing outside “lawful” entry points? Just 0.02 percent of the time. Meanwhile, more than 90 percent of the fentanyl seizures happening at border checkpoints, and in most of those cases, the drug is smuggled, sold and consumed by U.S. citizens.

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Law360: Pugin Ruling Lowers Bar For Felony-Based Deportation

In Pugin v. Garland, the Supreme Court held that an offense may “relate to” obstruction of justice under the INA’s definition of an aggravated felony even if the underlying statute does not require a pending investigation or proceeding.

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The Feeling of Freedom

On July 4th, I will celebrate with my mixed-immigrant, first-generation family, neighbors, and community.  I tell my little one she is an Incan-Viking Warrior (because she is). And that there are places where not everyone is free, including in our own country. But we are working to change that. I try to teach her about refugees and why people flee their homes to come to the United States.

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Policy Brief: Access to Records in Immigration Court

This Policy Brief examines the beneficial impact of increased access to immigration court records in addressing inefficiencies and due process violations, including the backlog, in removal proceedings. 

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