Come on, Joe, stop the “Miller Lite” nonsense and stand up for the legal rights of asylum seekers! Republished under license. From Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/08/biden-migrants-asylum-changes-00156865 The Biden administration will propose new changes to the asylum system on Thursday, four people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. The  forthcoming changes will address the stage at which migrants can be found ineligible to apply for and receive asylum. Under the current system, eligibility is determined based on a number of factors during the interview stage — the ..read more

Professor Karen Musalo Director, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Hastings LawRead Karen’s newly-released article “Aligning United States Law with International Norms Would Remove Major Barriers to Protection in Gender Claims” in the 2024 Edition of the International Journal of Refugee Law. Here’s the abstract:  A B ST R A CT The protection of women and girls fleeing gender-based harms has been controversial in the United States (US), with advances followed by setbacks. The US interpretation of particular social group and its nexus analysis, both of which diverge from guidance by ..read more

Attorney Peter Schey (1947-2024) https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/05/02/peter-schey-dead/ Harrison Smith writes in WashPost: Peter Schey, who championed the rights of immigrants for more than five decades, winning landmark legal cases on behalf of undocumented children and their families and helping lead the charge against Proposition 187, a California law that sought to deny social services to people suspected of arriving in the country illegally, died April 2 at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 77. The cause was lymphoma, said Melinda Bird, his friend and former wife ..read more

Knightess of the Round Table I. The BIA’s holding in Matter of M-R-M-S- represents a significant change in the nexus standard in family- based asylum cases. …………………………………………………….. 5 II. Requiring IJs to determine a persecutor’s subjective, dominant intent sets judges on a wild goose chase that will damage uniformity and efficiency. …………………………. 10 III. Matter of M-R-M-S- reduces fairness by requiring a different standard for family-group applicants and misunderstands the nature of asylum claims. ………………….16 You can read our full brief here: 2024.04.29 – OCV Amicus Brief FINAL ..read more

Professor Erin Barbato Director, Immigrant Justice Clinic UW Law Photo source: UW Law https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2024/04/30/erin-barbato-wisconsin-madison-undocumented-immigrant-justice-clinic-legal-help-deportation/73501762007/ TMJS’s Eva Wen interviews Erin: . . . . Under the Trump administration, most of the people we met there [in immigration detention in the Dodge County Jail] had benefits (some protection against deportation) that they were eligible for. They were asylum seekers, people with family ties, or people with DACA (people who were brought to the U.S. when they we ..read more

Hon. Jeffrey S. Chase Jeffrey S. Chase Blog Coordinator & Chief Spokesperson, Round Table of Former Immigration Judges“Sir Jeffrey” Chase reports: Cert granted in Bouarfa v. Mayorkas Hi all: Thanks to Lory [Rosenberg] for flagging that cert was granted today [April 29] by the Supreme Court in Bouarfa v. Mayorkas, in which our group filed an amicus brief in January. As a reminder, the issue involves whether a revocation of a visa petition by USCIS for non discretionary criteria can be reviewed by the courts. A straight-out non-discretionary denial by DHS of a visa petition can be reviewed b ..read more

Stuart Anderson Executive Director National Foundation for American Policy https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/thehill.com/opinion/4627011-biden-should-choose-legal-pathways-over-new-restrictions/amp/ Stuart writes in The Hill: President Joe Biden would make a mistake if he issued a new executive order to block asylum seekers in the hope of improving his election standing. It is unlikely the order would be lawful or effective. Instead, the Biden administration should focus on policies that have worked by expanding legal pathways. Individuals and families allowed to enter lawfully do no ..read more

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick Policy Counsel American Immigration Council Photo: TwitterAaron Reichlin-Melnick reports on X: @ReichlinMelnick On May 12, 2023, Border Patrol briefly restarted using humanitarian parole as a mechanism to release migrants as a means of avoiding overcrowding. Of the 2,572 people released that day, 2,545 have since checked in with ICE as required. That’s 99% in total. They didn’t disappear. Quote Big Cases Bot @big_cases · 14h Automated New filing: “Florida v. Mayorkas (migrant parole policy TRO)” Doc #74: STATUS REPORT Defendants’ Supplement ..read more

Cate Scenna Director of PBRC’s Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP) PHOTO: LinkedinFrom the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland: Cate Scenna, Director of PBRC’s Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP), and Bill Meyer, a longtime volunteer with MILAP, spoke to the Baltimore Banner about the state of the Baltimore Immigration Court, and how the overwhelmed system is affecting asylum seekers’ lives.   “One group — attorneys with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland — has established a presence on the fourth floor of the George Fallon Federal Building, where t ..read more

Rekha Sharma-Crawford ESQUIRE Partner and Co-Founder Sharma-Crawford Law Kansas City, KSRekha Sharma-Crawford writes in Linkedin: The Clinic at Sharma-Crawford Attorneys at Law Immigration Court Trial Advocacy College Faculty, 2024. Kick ass trial lawyers sharing their wisdom and knowledge to elevate the practice before the immigration courts. Blessed to call them all friends! Thank you my friends!!   Sharma-Crawford Faculty 2024   Paul Schmidt Lory Rosenberg Elina Magaly Santana Erich Straub Michael Sharma-Crawford Kelli Stump Lindsay Gray David Bell Kelly Driscoll Nathan Dayani Da ..read more