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.
Return to the United States After Prevailing on a Petition for Review or Motion to Reopen
This Practice Advisory contains practical and legal suggestions for individuals seeking to return to the United States after they have prevailed on a petition for review or an administrative motion to reopen or reconsider to the immigration court or Board of Immigration Appeals. Read More
Screening Potential DACA Requestors for Other Forms of Relief
This Practice Advisory is designed to assist attorneys in determining whether individuals seeking Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals might be eligible for immigration benefits. Read More
Suggested Strategies for Remedying Missed Petition for Review Deadlines or Filings in the Wrong Court
This Practice Advisory addresses situations in which a court might excuse a late-filed petition for review and discusses other administrative and federal court options for remedying the failure to timely file a petition for review. The Advisory also provides an overview of 28 U.S.C. § 1631, which authorizes courts to transfer a case to cure a lack of jurisdiction when an action is filed in the wrong federal court. Read More
The Child Status Protection Act
This Practice Advisory provides an overview of the CSPA, its effective date, and its interpretation and implementation by USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the courts. Read More
DACA at Year Three: Challenges and Opportunities in Accessing Higher Education and Employment
DACA has helped its beneficiaries find employment and increase their earnings. But, even with better jobs, not all DACA beneficiaries in our study were able to afford tuition at four-year institutions. Read More
Supreme Court Issues Disappointing Split Decision in United States v. Texas
The Supreme Court issued a 4-4 decision 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 preliminary injunction against these initiatives will stand. The… Read More
On the Four-Year Anniversary of DACA, It’s Clearly Working
On June 15, we celebrate the benefits of the four-year anniversary of President Obama’s Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. Since DACA was first announced in 2012, it has positively changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of young individuals in the United States. According to the most recent… Read More
These Anti-Immigrant Organizations Are Behind the Effort to Derail Executive Action on Immigration
The tentacles of the modern anti-immigrant movement in the United States extend far and wide, but they emanate from a single source: John Tanton—a white nationalist trying his hardest to ensure that racial and ethnic minorities, fed by immigration and relatively high birth rates, don’t one day outnumber non-Latino… Read More
Judge Hanen Halts Order That Would Have Revealed Personal Information of DACA Recipients
Judge Hanen halts his order that would have the Department of Justice (DOJ) turn over personal information of about 50,000 individuals who have received three-year reprieves from deportation and three-year work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. This original May 19, 2016 order will… Read More
Administration Seeks to Protect DACA Recipients from Judge Hanen’s Unusual Order in Immigration Case
This week, the Obama administration filed a stay motion, a request to halt Judge Hanen’s highly extraordinary order in May telling the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over personal information of about 50,000 or so individuals who have received three-year reprieves from deportation and three-year work permits… Read More
