Humanitarian Protection

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All Humanitarian Protection Content

  • Special Report

Beyond A Border Solution

Publication Date: 
May 3, 2023
America needs durable solutions. These concrete measures can bring orderliness to our border and modernize our overwhelmed asylum system.
  • Fact Sheet

Rising Border Encounters in 2021: An Overview and Analysis

Publication Date: 
March 4, 2022
This Council fact sheet provides an overview and analysis of border encounters and border apprehensions in 2021.
  • Fact Sheet

Ukrainians in the United States Who May Qualify for Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

Publication Date: 
March 3, 2022
This fact sheet provides a demographic overview of the population of Ukrainians in the United States who may qualify for TPS, and what benefits TPS would confer upon those individuals.
  • Fact Sheet

Prosecuting People for Coming to the United States

Publication Date: 
August 23, 2021
Over the last two decades, the federal government increasingly has utilized the criminal courts to punish people for immigration violations. This overview provides basic information about entry-...
  • Research and Analysis

Coalition Letter Expresses Concerns About Proposed Expedited Asylum Process

Publication Date: 
June 8, 2021
The Council expressed concerns about the Biden administration's plans for a new type of expedited asylum proceedings.
  • Research and Analysis

Letter Urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to Vacate Matter of A-B, Matter of L-E-A, and Matter of A-C-A-A

Publication Date: 
May 7, 2021

The Council joined 356 other organizations, law school clinics, professors, law firms, and practitioners in urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to vacate Matter of A-B, Matter of...

  • Fact Sheet

Metering and Asylum Turnbacks

Publication Date: 
March 8, 2021
This fact sheet provides an overview of a practice known as “metering” that has been used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to turn away thousands of people who come to ports of entry seeking...
  • Fact Sheet

Community Support for Migrants Navigating the U.S. Immigration System

Publication Date: 
February 26, 2021
This fact sheet draws from original data gathered from hundreds of community-organizations around the country and provides a snapshot of the extent of available services that help migrants navigate...
  • Special Report

Measuring In Absentia Removal in Immigration Court

Publication Date: 
January 28, 2021
This analysis of data provided by the federal government reveals that 83% of all nondetained immigrants with completed or pending removal cases attended all their hearings from 2008 to 2018.
  • Fact Sheet

The Electronic Nationality Verification Program: An Overview

Publication Date: 
January 26, 2021
U.S. immigration agencies use a range of programs to deport—or remove—certain noncitizens from the United States. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and two of...
  • FOIA

Council Seeks Records on CBP’s Treatment of Migrants at the U.S.-Mexico Border

This FOIA request seeks information on CBP’s treatment of asylum seekers and their access to inspection appointments scheduled via CBP One, revealing potential violations of their rights.
  • FOIA

Agency Failures Make Obtaining Humanitarian Parole Almost Impossible for Afghans

Records show how the USCIS’s response to the high volume of humanitarian parole applications contributed to the massive delays faced by Afghans.
  • FOIA

Seeking Records About Possible Due Process Violations of Detainees at the Torrance Detention Facility

These Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seek records from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) about treatment of Haitian immigrants.
  • FOIA Litigation

Council Sues USCIS To Obtain Records About Humanitarian Parole Applications of Afghan Nationals

This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit seeks to compel U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to disclose information about the massive delays in processing of applications for humanitarian parole filed for Afghan nationals who have not been able to travel to the United States.
  • FOIA

Investigating USCIS’ Implementation of Humanitarian Parole and Refugee Processing for Afghan Nationals

This Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeks to uncover information about how the humanitarian parole process and refugee program is working with respect to Afghan nationals.
  • Litigation

Challenging USCIS for Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations

The Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit to ensure timely renewal of work authorizations documents for asylum seekers.
  • Amicus Briefs

Council and Partners Urge Supreme Court to Stop Texas Court from Reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols

Publication Date: 
August 23, 2021
This amicus brief urges the Supreme Court to stop the reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), and halt the lower court's poorly reasoned and factually flawed decision.
  • Amicus Briefs

Council and Partners Submit Amicus Brief to Stop the Reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols

Publication Date: 
August 18, 2021
This brief highlights the court's many factual errors about MPP in its decision to reinstate the program.
  • Litigation

Challenging Drastic Immigration Court Fee Increases That Limit Access to Justice

The Council filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s rule that would drastically increase fees across-the-board in high-stakes immigration proceedings.
  • Amicus Briefs

Council Submits Amicus Brief on Insufficiency of Notice in Migrant Protection Protocols Proceedings

Publication Date: 
October 22, 2020
The brief argues that DHS’ service practices for MPP tear sheets deny respondents their statutory right to notice of the time and place of their removal proceedings, their statutory right to a full and fair hearing, and, consequently, due process of law.
  • Blog

Biden Proposes Rule to Quickly Remove Certain Migrants During Initial Screening Process at the Border

May 13, 2024

On May 9, the Biden administration proposed a rule that would allow asylum officers to consider and impose certain restrictions or “bars” to the initial asylum screening process at the border....

  • Blog

Volunteers Needed for Credible Fear Interview Preparation in CBP Hotline

May 3, 2024

When someone crosses the border to seek asylum in the United States, they often first go through a credible fear interview (CFI). An asylum officer evaluates a person’s fear of returning to their...

  • Blog

The Federal Government Is Cutting Aid for Migrant Shelters and Services. What Will States Do Now?

April 9, 2024

After months of contentious debate and near government shutdowns, Congress approved appropriations for fiscal year 2024, which President Biden quickly signed into law. The spending package...

  • Blog

The State of Texas Isn’t Just Creating Chaos and Cruelty at the Border—It’s Trying to Break the Things That Work

March 1, 2024

For decades, the Catholic nonprofit Annunciation House has worked to support migrants in El Paso, Texas. It’s provided shelter, food and services to countless people who have just arrived in the...

  • Blog

Refugees and Asylum Seekers Generate Billions of Dollars More Than They Cost the U.S. Government

February 22, 2024

A report released this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that refugees and asylees have generated tens of billions of dollars more in local, state, and federal...

  • Blog

White House Leans Into Trump-Era Immigration Policy Changes to Get Ukraine Aid

December 13, 2023

The Biden administration signaled on December 12 that it is willing to make disastrous—and permanent—changes to asylum and immigration policy to obtain temporary military aid for Ukraine, Israel,...

  • Blog

What We Know About the Senate Negotiations That Could Wreck Asylum in the US 

December 1, 2023

Members of the U.S. Senate are currently negotiating a deal to continue funding the federal government next year, as well as providing military aid to Ukraine But the cost could be the federal...

  • Blog

Labor Shortage Can Be Fixed by Letting Asylum Seekers Get Work Permits Sooner, Business Leaders Say

November 20, 2023

When asylum seekers come to the United States, they want to work—but an outdated immigration statute is making that more difficult than it needs to be. After filing an asylum application, asylum...

  • Blog

Congress Punts on Supplemental Funding While Setting up Future Fight on Immigration

November 17, 2023

After weeks of uncertainty as to whether Congress would reach a deal to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, earlier this week Congress passed a continuing resolution bill which funds the...

  • Blog

Spotlight on the Economic Contributions of TPS Holders

October 23, 2023

In September, the Biden administration extended temporary protection to some 472,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States. Doing so provided welcome humanitarian relief—thousands of men, women...

  • Press Release

Immigrant Rights Groups Sue for Information on Asylum Turnbacks

October 18, 2023
The American Immigration Council and the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) have filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit to compel the Biden administration to release information on its new policy of turning back people who request asylum without first obtaining an appointment via the government’s CBP One smartphone app.
  • Press Release

Court Hears Challenge to Asylum Turnback

October 13, 2023
On October 13, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California will hear arguments in Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance v. Mayorkas, a federal lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s unlawful policy of turning back people seeking asylum without a CBP One appointment.
  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Applauds TPS Re-Designation for Venezuelans, Granting Much-Needed Relief and Work Authorization

September 20, 2023
The Council responds to the Biden Administration's announcement that it will be extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans who arrived in the United States before July 31, 2023.
  • Press Release

Solicitantes de Asilo Piden a la Corte Bloquear la Política de Rechazo

August 10, 2023
El miércoles, un grupo de solicitantes de asilo presentó una petición para bloquear la política ilegal de la administración Biden de rechazar a las personas que buscan asilo en los puertos de entrada a lo largo de la frontera con Estados Unidos.
  • Press Release

Asylum Seekers Ask Court to Block Turnback Policy

August 10, 2023
On Wednesday a group of asylum seekers moved to block the Biden administration’s unlawful policy of turning back people seeking asylum at ports of entry along the southern border.
  • Press Release

New Report Reveals Refugees' Profound Economic Contributions and Integration in the United States

June 20, 2023
The American Immigration Council unveils a new report highlighting the substantial economic and social impact of refugees in the United States.
  • Press Release

New Menendez Plan Proposes Humane and Effective Solutions for Managing Migration at the Border

April 18, 2023
The American Immigration Council responds to the new Menendez Plan which proposes humane and effective solutions for managing migration at the border.
  • Press Release

Opposition to Proposed Asylum Transit Ban Rule Across U.S.

April 10, 2023
Members of Congress, Faith Leaders, and Pediatricians Join Tens of Thousands of People Demanding Rescission of Biden Asylum Transit Ban.
  • Press Release

Advocates Release FOIA Data, Seek Transparency for Thousands of Afghans Seeking Humanitarian Parole and the Extensive Delays They Are Facing

March 16, 2023
The American Immigration Council and International Refugee Assistance Project released government records documenting the extensive delays experienced by thousands of Afghans who filed for humanitarian parole since the United States’ chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
  • Press Release

Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security Release Details of Dangerous New Asylum Transit Ban

February 21, 2023
The American Immigration Council responds to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on the implementation of a new asylum transit ban.
  • Press Release

Court Allows Legal Challenge to CBP One Turnback Policy to Proceed

October 1, 2024
A case that challenges that U.S. government's policy of turning away asylum seekers who legally approach ports of entry can move forward, a judge ruled.
  • Press Release

Extended Harsh Asylum Restrictions Won’t Fix Our Broken Immigration System

October 1, 2024
We need a balanced approach to addressing challenges at our southern border and our overwhelmed, broken asylum system.
  • Blog

Fighting Over Whether Haitian Immigrants Are ‘Legal’ Misses the Point: They’re Legally Vulnerable

September 30, 2024

As Springfield, Ohio, and its purported (largely invented) problems with its Haitian population have continued to dominate both national news and the presidential campaign, people on both sides...

  • Blog

Texas Attorney General Paxton Continues Fight Against NGOs That Serve Migrants

August 21, 2024

Update on 9/13/24: On August 23rd, Harris County District Judge Ravi K. Sandill denied Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to halt FIEL’s operations and revoke its nonprofit status, effectively...

  • Practice Advisories

Strategies and Considerations in the Wake of Niz-Chavez v. Garland

Publication Date: 
July 29, 2024
This practice advisory by the Council and partners provides an overview of the Niz-Chavez v. Garland decision and its impact on eligibility for cancellation of removal; eligibility for post-conclusion voluntary departure and broader applications of the decision.
  • Blog

Kamala Harris’ Opportunity to Reframe the Immigration Conversation

July 23, 2024

The American Immigration Council does not endorse or oppose candidates for elected office. We aim to provide analysis regarding the implications of the election on the U.S. immigration system. As...

  • FOIA

The Council Sues the Department of State for Data on Where the Agency Resettles Refugees

On April 25, the Council filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with the Department of State to obtain locational and demographic data on refugees admitted to the United States.
  • Comments

Council and AILA submit Comments on Interim Final Rule Restricting Access to Humanitarian Protections at the U.S./Mexico Border

July 17, 2024
In June of 2024, the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) submitted a joint comment urging the Biden administration to rescind this IFR.
  • Fact Sheet

Temporary Protected Status: An Overview

Publication Date: 
July 12, 2024
This fact sheet provides an overview of how Temporary Protected Status designations are made, what benefits TPS confers, and how TPS beneficiaries apply for and regularly renew their status.
  • Comments

Council Comment Supporting the Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period for Certain Renewed Employment Authorization Documents

July 1, 2024
The American Immigration Council submitted a comment in response to a temporary final rule on the Temporary Increase of the Automatic Extension Period of Employment Authorization and Documentation for Certain Employment Authorization Document (“EAD”) Renewal Applicants.

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