In the Press (2014 archive)
2014 News and articles
AILA: Administration Turns Its Back on American Values with Mammoth New Family Prison
Leslie A. Holman, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) responded to the opening of a massive new private jail by the Department of Homeland Security in Dilley, Texas with the following statement: “By opening this huge permanent private jail in Dilley, Texas, the Administration willfully ignores the clear evidence that the children and mothers that they are detaining are refugees fleeing from extreme violence, and thumbs its nose at the idea that the United States will live by its values and uphold the rights of asylum seekers."
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14121745 (posted Dec. 17, 2014)
AILA: PRESIDENT OBAMA’S USE OF HIS LEGAL AUTHORITY CAN FIX BROKEN ELEMENTS OF THE IMMIGRATION SYSTEM
This is an important first step, but it’s up to Congress to take further action
Washington, DC – The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) welcomed the President’s announcement tonight offering his planned administrative action to ameliorate some of the damage done by our broken immigration system in the absence of Congressional action.
AILA, November 20th, 2014
Leslie Holman of American Immigration Lawyers Association discusses US policy on migrants
CCTV America interview Leslie Holman, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, about how easy will it be for five million undocumented immigrants to gain their deferred deportation.
CCTV, Nov 20th, 2014
AILA: Administration Trying to Drag Mothers and Children Back to Detention
In response to the Administration appealing bond decisions for some mothers and children released from Artesia, AILA President Leslie Holman stated, “I am utterly outraged by the latest tactics the Obama Administration has used to inflict needless misery on mothers and children seeking asylum.”
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14092351 (posted Sep. 23, 2014)
AILA: Expansion of Family Detention Means the United States Will Jail More Victims of Violence
AILA President Leslie Holman reacts to confirmation that a massive family detention facility will open in Texas saying, “You can call it a ‘Family Residential Center’ but it is a prison. Dilley will be the largest immigration detention facility nationwide—all for the purpose of jailing families.”
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14092345 (posted Sep. 23, 2014)
It’s the economy; let’s not be stupid
Immigrants are an integral part of our communities. They are our friends, and in many cases they are in our families. There is no question that national security is important to everyone who calls the U.S. home – whether you were born here or not.
By Leslie Holman. | The Hill, September 05, 2014
President Obama Doubles Down on Immigration Failures: Delays Executive Action and Ramps Up Jailing of Families
The following is a statement from Leslie Holman, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) about President Obama's announced decision to again delay any executive action that would help immigrants, their families, and our economy.
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14090640 (posted Sep. 6, 2014)
AILA: U.S. Shamefully Detaining Families Seeking Asylum with "Bond" Rule
According to documents obtained at the remote family immigration detention facility in Artesia, New Mexico, the U.S. government is refusing to allow release on bond of Central American mothers and children who have fled the uncontrollable violence in their home countries, or is setting bonds so prohibitively high as to be meaningless. The new "bond" rule will be imposed even upon those individuals who have demonstrated a strong initial claim for protection and who have the right to a full hearing before an immigration judge.
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14073142 (posted Jul. 31, 2014)
AILA: House Republican Plan Will Endanger Children Fleeing Violence and Persecution
A working group of lawmakers appointed by House Speaker John Boehner to address the national security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border, released a set of recommendations to the House GOP conference Wednesday to deal with the influx of children and families crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14072460 (posted Jul. 24, 2014)
AILA: Terrible Legislation Would Shred Protections for Children Seeking Refuge
In recent days, legislative proposals have been introduced with the purported goal of addressing the humanitarian crisis involving children and families fleeing to the United States. The following is a statement from Leslie Holman, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) about the provisions in two bills
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14071843 (posted Jul. 18, 2014)
AILA: Administration Request for Funding – Not Enough to Protect Children
Today, the Obama Administration released a summary of its planned request to Congress for supplemental appropriations to address the humanitarian crisis involving migrant children at the southern border of the United States. The following is a statement from Leslie A. Holman, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) about the provisions in the request.
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14070850 (posted Jul. 8, 2014)
Republicans call on Obama to break law, deport children
Chris Hayes looks at calls to deport unaccompanied child migrants with Congressman Luis Gutierrez and Leslie Holman.
MSNBC: All In With Chris Hayes 07/07/14
AP sources: Border policy requests to come later
President Barack Obama is holding off for now on seeking new legal authority to send unaccompanied migrant kids back home faster from the Southern border, following criticism that the administration's planned changes were too harsh..."It would take away their right to council, right to proper screening. It would undermine completely due process," Leslie Holman, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said in an interview Monday.
By ERICA WERNER and JIM KUHNHENN — Jul. 7, 2014 8:34 PM EDT
AILA Strongly Condemns Reported Plans to Return Migrant Children to Danger
In the following statement, Leslie A. Holman, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) strongly condemns reported Administration plans to quickly, and with no due process, deport unaccompanied migrant children back to the dangers they escaped.
"If the media reports are true, President Obama is asking Congress to change the law to enable the government to inflict expedited removal on unaccompanied children. That is simply unconscionable. No matter what you call it, rapid deportations without any meaningful hearing for children who are rightly afraid of the violence and turmoil from which they fled is wrong, and contradicts the fundamental values of this nation."
AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 14063060 (posted Jun. 30, 2014)
U. S. Commission on Civil Rights Appoints Vermont State Advisory Committee Members
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced today the appointment of 17 members to the Vermont State Advisory Committee, charging them to evaluate and report on civil rights concerns in the state.
U. S. Commission on Civil Rights, May 28th 2014