Humanitarian Protection

The enforcement of immigration laws is a complex and hotly-debated topic. Learn more about the costs of immigration enforcement and the ways in which the U.S. can enforce our immigration laws humanely and in a manner that ensures due process.

All Humanitarian Protection Content

  • Blog

ICE Begins Mass Mailing Court Notices to Asylum Seekers Released at the Border

November 9, 2021

Since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have released over 250,000 people seeking asylum directly at the border. In nearly half of these cases, people...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Announces Plan for Reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols

October 18, 2021

Two months after a federal court ordered the Biden administration to reinstate the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols (also known as “Remain in Mexico”), the administration announced that it...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Doubles Down On Title 42 As Del Rio Expulsions Draw to A Close

October 8, 2021

In September, nearly 15,000 Haitians arrived near Del Rio, Texas seeking asylum in the United States. But rather than allowing them to seek protection, as is their right under United States law,...

  • Blog

US Policy Toward Haitian Immigrants Is Part of a Long, Troubled History

September 24, 2021

Shocking images have emerged of Border Patrol officers on horseback charging toward Haitian immigrants in and around the border town of Del Rio, Texas. Thousands of Haitians have come to our...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Reopens Protection Program for At-Risk Central American Children

September 22, 2021

The Departments of State and Homeland Security announced recently that they will be accepting new applications for the Central American Minors (CAM) Program, created to process immigrant children...

  • Blog

Del Rio Migrant Camp Shows How Biden Administration Is Not Living Up to Its Promises

September 21, 2021

Roughly 14,000 Haitians arrived at the border across from Del Rio, Texas in mid-September and walked across the Rio Grande to seek asylum. Many first left Haiti in 2010 following a devastating...

  • Blog

Turning Back Asylum Seekers is Against the Law, Court Finds

September 7, 2021

A federal court concluded Thursday that the U.S. government’s turning back of asylum seekers at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border—primarily through a practice called metering—not only...

  • Blog

Unaccompanied Minors Among Thousands Evacuated from Afghanistan

September 2, 2021

Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have confirmed that 34 unaccompanied minors from Afghanistan currently in the United States were among the approximately 123,000...

  • Blog

Supreme Court Refuses to Stop the Migrant Protection Protocols From Going Back Into Effect

August 25, 2021

The Supreme Court refused to block an order to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy. The decision comes after a Texas judge halted the government...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Plans Big Changes for Asylum Seekers at the Border

August 19, 2021

The Biden administration announced this week that it will propose a new rule to speed up the fair and humane processing of asylum claims of people arriving at the U.S. border. The issue has been...

  • Press Release

Judge Stands Up for Refugee Families, Castigates Government for Policies That Traumatize Children

July 25, 2015

Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the American Immigration Council (Council) welcomed a ruling by U.S.

  • Press Release

Immigrants’ Rights Groups to Provide Pro Bono Legal Services to Detained Families in Texas

March 31, 2015

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

The U.S. Must Not Lower the Bar on Protecting Children Fleeing Violence

July 30, 2014

Washington D.C. - The humanitarian challenge posed by the arrival of thousands of unaccompanied children and young families at our southern border has once again ignited passions over

  • Press Release

America Must Uphold Its Obligations to Protect Children and Families Fleeing Persecution

June 30, 2014

Washington D.C. - As the numbers of unaccompanied minors and mothers with children crossing our southern border grows, the U.S.

  • Press Release

District Court Rules Grant of TPS Is an Admission for Adjustment of Status Purposes

June 5, 2014

Washington, D.C.–The American Immigration Council welcomes last week’s ruling by the United States District Court for the

  • Press Release

Court Approves Settlement in National Class Action Lawsuit on Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers

November 5, 2013

Washington, DC – On Monday, November 4, U.S.

  • Press Release

Frequently Asked Questions about the Asylum Clock Class Action Settlement

July 9, 2013

Frequently Asked Questions about the Asylum Clock Class Action Settlement

  • Press Release

Agreement Reached in National Class Action Lawsuit on Work Authorization for Asylum Seekers

April 15, 2013

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council and Partners Sue U.S. Immigration Agencies Over Asylum “Clock”

December 20, 2011

Washington, D.C.—Last week, the American Immigration Council’s Legal Action Center (LAC) filed a nationwide class action

  • Press Release

New Asylum Clock Policies Provide No Significant Systemic Change

November 21, 2011

Washington D.C. - Last week, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) issued

  • Blog

Supreme Court Permits Biden to Terminate ‘Remain in Mexico’ Program

June 30, 2022

Almost a year after the Supreme Court allowed a federal judge in Texas to order the Biden administration to restart the so-called “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP), the Supreme Court ruled in...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Expands Exemptions for Afghan Nationals Otherwise Inadmissible

June 22, 2022

Obtaining immigration benefits from the U.S. government is always difficult, but it is even harder for people who have ever had any interaction with an organization or government that is deemed to...

  • Blog

Biden’s New Asylum Rules Go Into Effect On A Limited Basis

May 31, 2022

The Biden administration’s overhaul of the asylum system went into effect for the first time on May 31, but only a limited basis. According to guidance published by the Department of Homeland...

  • Comments

Comment on Procedures for Credible Fear Screening and Consideration of Asylum

Publication Date: 
May 26, 2022
The Council submitted a comment urging the Biden administration to reconsider the expedited timeframe in the interim final rule that will significantly hinder asylum seeker access to due process.
  • Blog

Biden Administration Creates New Parole Program for Ukrainians

April 27, 2022

The Biden administration announced a special parole program for Ukrainians that began April 25. The Uniting for Ukraine program is a first step toward the administration’s commitment to welcoming...

  • Blog

Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in ‘Remain in Mexico’ Case

April 26, 2022

Over three years after the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) went into effect, the Supreme Court finally heard oral arguments in a case about the program, also known as the “Remain in Mexico”...

  • Blog

Settlement Deadline in Lawsuit Addressing a One-Year Filing Deadline for Asylum Applications

April 21, 2022

Immigration law requires that asylum seekers file applications for asylum within one year of last entering the United States. Filing after one year can be the sole reason the U.S. government...

  • Blog

The US Response to Ukraine Shows We Have the Capacity for Humanitarian Relief

April 6, 2022

At the beginning of March 2022, as millions of Ukrainians were being displaced by Russian invasion, the U.S. government announced a series of policy changes to assist some of the people impacted...

  • Policy Briefs

Ending Title 42 and Creating an Orderly Asylum System

Publication Date: 
April 6, 2022
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the effect of Title 42 on border operations and management and to provide recommendations on creating an orderly humanitarian...
  • Blog

Biden’s New Asylum Process: What You Need to Know

March 25, 2022

The Biden administration finalized its long-anticipated plan for overhauling the asylum system on March 24. The regulation, which is set to go into effect on an interim basis in 60 days, was first...

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