Shared by our Chair, Maggie Murphy

https://www.texastribune.org/2018/04/12/trump-charges-forward-immigration-enforcement-texas-detainees-are-leas/

AILA Texas, Oklahoma & New Mexico Chapter Spring Conference

April 19-21, 2018

El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel

San Antonio, Texas

BATTLE OF FLOWERS, BATTLE OF AILA IMMIGRATION LAWYERS

Kicking off Fiesta San Antonio with a conference designed to prepare

AILA lawyers for the battle of their lives representing immigrants

*Conference registration, panel presentations and vendors will be in the Coronado Conference facility adjacent to hotel

Thursday, April 19                    

5:00 – 7:00                                    Registration

5:30 – 7:00                                      A retrospective on Immigration Relief from Immigration Lawyer Veterans from the Battlefield (including 0.5 hours of ethics)

• Recapturing Old Priority Dates and its tricks
• Western Hemisphere
• Family Unity and Reviving Old Legalization Cases
• Gems that can be found through FOIA requests

Faculty:

Robert Shivers, San Antonio, Texas

Nancy Shivers,  San Antonio, Texas

Robert Crane, Weslaco, Texas

Tom Esparza, Austin, Texas

Robert Ahlgren, Chicago, Illinois

7:00 – 8:30                                      Happy Hour at Hotel El Tropicano (AILA hosting food and drink in bar area in hotel lobby)

Friday, April 20

6:30 –    7:30                                   Yoga with Maria McIntyre (2^nd floor of hotel next to pool area)

7:30-     8:30                                    Registration

8:30-     8:40                                   Welcome by Chapter Chair Maggie Murphy

8:40-     9:30                                   An Overview of State and National Impact Litigation Defending                                                  Our Immigrant Community                                   

• Texas SB 4 and its litigation
• DACA
• Motel 6 Litigation

Faculty:

Nina Perales, San Antonio, Texas

9:30 –    10:20                                 Consular Practice Roundtable: The Do’s and Don’ts of Consular  

              Practice in both the Family and Employment Context

• From NVC to the Consular Post
• How to approach the consulate
• How to prepare a client for a consular appointment
• Hot topics in Employment and Family IV sections
• 212(d)(3) Waivers
• How to deal with Administrative Processing
• How to deal with a “Reason to Believe” charge

Faculty:

Kenneth Harder, Houston, TX

Leigh N. Ganchan, Houston, TX

10:20-   10:30                                 Break

10:30 – 11:20                                 Roundtable with ICE Chief Counsel

• Priority guidelines
• Current trends
• How counsel can strike agreements with ICE?

Faculty:

Paul Hunker, ICE Chief Counsel, Dallas, Texas

JoAnn McLane, ICE Chief Counsel, San Antonio, Texas

Lance Curtright, San Antonio, Texas

11:20-   11:30                                 Civitas Presentation  

11:30-   12:20                                 Roundtable with USCIS Officials

• Delays in Processing and Adjudication and how to deal with them
• Tips from USCIS Adjudicators
• Latest Updates from USCIS

Faculty:

Field Office Director USCIS San Antonio Gary Garman

Chief Deputy for USCIS San Antonio Chris Saucedo

Paul Parsons, Austin, Texas

Jackie Watson, Austin Texas

12:30 – 1:30                                    San Antonio Welcome and Congressional Update by Congressman Joaquin Castro, Texas’ 20^th District   

                                                          Fiesta Lunch and Chapter Business Meeting (in conference facility)                       

1:30 – 2:00                                Make Your Message Successful: Learn How to Activate the Public’s Positive Frames on Immigration “Gain insights into how to have more productive conversations on immigration.”

Wendy Feliz, American Immigration Council

2:00–  3:30                                     Battlefield tactics to successfully obtain nonimmigrant visas in the current environment: NIV’s L-1B’s, RFE’s, H-1B’s, TN’s and OMG’s 

• Specialty Occupation, Specialized Knowledge and Managerial Capacity under the current administration
• H-1B’s and Level 1 & 2 Wage Issues
• Current RFE Trends
• Nonimmigrant Visas Adjudication under the Buy American Hire American Policy
• TN issues
• Adjustment Interviews for Employment Based Application

Faculty:

Cyrus Metha, New York, NY

Chuck Kuck, Atlanta, GA

William H. Stock, Philadelphia, PA

Terry Weir, Houston, Texas

3:30-4:30                                         CBP Roundtable: Land and Air Entries and Exits

The question “should I travel?” can never be easily answered

• Validity of Admission
• Automated I-94s
• I-94 Revalidations
• Expedited Removals v. Withdrawals

Faculty:

Lois Hunter, USCBP Port Director, San Antonio, TX

Ramon E. Curiel

Kenneth Harder, Houston, Texas

4:30–  5:15                                     All Hands-on Deck: Exploring other options for our TPS population

• Arguing TPS grant constitutes admission under INA 245(a) in other circuits
• Asylum after TPS and issues to consider
• Possible NACARA claims
• TPS recipients with removal orders and its challenges

Faculty:

John Blatz, San Antonio, Texas

5:30 -8:00                                       Fiesta Social Event at Paramour Bar! 

                                                          102 9th Street, Suite 400 (across from hotel)

Saturday, April 21

6:30 –    7:30                                   Yoga with Maria McIntyre (2^nd floor of hotel next to pool area)

8:00 –  9:00                                     Professionalism and Ethics in era of extreme immigration enforcement (1 hr ethics)

• ICE is empowered, how does counsel ethically respond?
• When to file complaints?
• How to advise clients about when to file an application
• What is the lawyer’s liability when they file an application for relief with misrepresentations or ineligibilities?

Faculty:

Roy Petty, Dallas, Texas

Michelle Saenz Rodriguez, Dallas, Texas

Maggie Murphy, Austin, Texas

9:00- 10:00                                     Fighting on every front:  Filing Motions with CIS and EOIR

• Filing Motions to Reopen and Reconsider and Other Post-Decision Motions with USCIS
• Litigating Motions in Removal Proceedings
• Preparing Touhy Requests for Government Witnesses, and Filing Motions to Subpoena Witnesses

Faculty:

Jodi Goodwin, Harlingen, Texas

Iliana Holguin, El Paso, Texas

Irene Mugambi, Dallas, Texas

10:00-10:10                                    Break

10:10-11:10                                    Combat Zone: Aggressive Strategies in Removal proceedings

• Discovery Issues
• Contesting the hell out of an NTA
• Preserving the record for appellate work

Faculty:

Javier Maldonado, San Antonio, Texas

Kelli Stump, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Trina Realmuto, Washington D.C.

11:10-   12:10                                Reporting Back from the War Zone: Federal Court Update

• New cases that affect all practitioners
• Trends in decision-making
• Employment based litigation

Faculty:

Brian Bates, Houston, Texas

Simon Azar Farr, San Antonio, Texas

Adjournment

MESSAGE FOR AILA CHAPTER SPRING CONFERENCE ATTENDEES IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

See chapter website for latest conference agenda

1. Onsite registration will be available for folks who want to join the party!
2. El Tropicano Hotel is located at 110 Lexington Ave, San Antonio, TX 78205
3. Please note detour signs surrounding the hotel (an EB-5 Immigrant Investor project across the street from hotel has taken over the regular hotel route!)
4. Hotel has self-parking or valet. There are many parking lots around the area as well.
5. Conference registration, panel presentations and vendors will be in the Coronado Conference facility adjacent to hotel.
6. All conference attendees will have WIFI access and all conference materials will be accessed through a webpage
7. Lobby will have information to all AILA conference festivities

See you soon at the Battle of Flowers, Battle of AILA immigration lawyers conference! 

From our AILA Austin Section Co-Chair Claudia Baellow

Austin AILA Members,

Please see below for info on an upcoming CLE.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to advise immigrants and their families regarding precautions to take in an interaction with law enforcement and ICE agents. We’ll discuss some pointers to advise clients regarding jail and ICE booking procedures, and the benefits and consequences of sharing information with these agencies.

 

 

1 hour partic. CLE

Cost for all: $15

Lunch and parking included.

To register please go to the link below –

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/civil-rights-immigration-cle-what-do-i-do-when-the-iceman-cometh-tickets-45000840726

From our DFO Liaison Susan Bond

In preparation of our small group meeting, please forward any questions you would like for the Liaison Committee to present for discussion at our next meeting on May 23, 2018.  The deadline to submit questions to the Dallas Field Office is May 9^th,but you can start sending questions now. Keep in mind, the questions should be on procedural issues or problems that you may have encountered, rather than case specific questions. Thanks in advance for providing your questions

Questions should be sent to:

Dallasliaisonsusan@bondimmigrationlaw.com

From our DFO USCIS Liaison Susan Bond

In preparation of our small group meeting, please forward any questions you would like for the Liaison Committee to present for discussion at our next meeting on May 23, 2018.  The deadline to submit questions to the Dallas Field Office is May 9^th,but you can start sending questions now. Keep in mind, the questions should be on procedural issues or problems that you may have encountered, rather than case specific questions. Thanks in advance for providing your questions!

Questions should be sent to:

Dallasliaisonsusan@bondimmigrationlaw.com

From our DFO Liaison Susan Bond

In an effort to provide more efficient customer service to customers who have legitimate travel or employment emergencies, the Dallas Field Office will open up two Wednesdays per month, between the hours of 6:30 and 9:30, to allow the customers to walk in to the office without an appointment and speak to an Immigration Officer about their emergency request.  They must bring proof of the emergency by providing documents that will support their request.

If the emergency is related to a medical reason or death and is for an immediate relative (parent, spouse, children or siblings), they must present medical documentation from the doctor or hospital on medical office or hospital letterhead providing detailed information of the medical condition and contact information.  If the emergency is related to a death, they must present the death certificate or a letter from the hospital verifying the death.

If the applicant is a conditional resident or has a pending I-90 and the emergency is related to a possible loss of employment, they must provide a letter from the employer on the employer’s letterhead verifying the need for proof of employment in order to obtain an I-551 stamp in their valid passport.

Please remember that some requests may not be completed the same day due to the biometrics requirement.

The dates are:

May 9th and 23rd – 6:30 – 9:30

If emergencies arise outside of this time frame, please follow the current walk-in procedure.

From our USCIS DFO Liaison Susan Bond

Responses to questions 2017_07_27

Responses to questions 2018_01_18

Responses to questions 2018_04_09

From our USCIS HFO Liaison Jennifer Mizulski

HFO USCIS has changed the date for the AILA General Quarterly Meeting to the original date of Thursday, May 17, 2018 at 3 pm.  It will be held at the HFO on 810 Gears Road, Houston, TX.

From our CIS Liaison Jennifer Mizulski

In an effort to provide more efficient service to applicants who have legitimate travel or employment emergencies, the Houston Field Office will be open between the hours of 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM on May 10^th and May 22^nd, to allow applicants to walk in to the office without an appointment and speak to an Immigration Officer about their emergency request. They must bring proof of their emergency by providing documents that will support their request.

If the emergency is related to a medical reason or death, and is for an immediate relative (parent, spouse, children or siblings), the requestor must present medical documentation from the doctor or hospital on medical office or hospital letterhead providing detailed information of the medical condition and contact information.  If the emergency is related to a death, the applicant must present the death certificate or a letter from this hospital verifying the death.  If travel is related to the applicant’s work, a letter from the employer, on company letterhead, relating the need for the travel should be supplied. The applicant must also be otherwise eligible for the benefit requested (for instance, pending I-485).

If the applicant is a green card holder who has a pending I-90 or I-751 and the emergency is related to a possible loss of employment, they must provide a letter from the employer on the employer’s letterhead verifying the need for proof of employment in order to obtain an I-551 stamp in their passport.

Please remember that some requests may not be completed the same day due to biometrics or other requirements.

From our Dallas Section Coordinators Rebecca Massiatte and Sonali Patnaik

AILA DALLAS SECTION LUNCH CLE ON 05/22/2018
 

Topic of Discussion:   Employment Based Adjustment of Status Interviews

Speaker:                    Alana N. Taylor, Esq., Gupta & Wiora, P.C.

Date:                                 Tuesday,  May 22, 2018
Time:                                     11:30-Noon: Lunch and networking (bring cards to exchange), 12:00-1:30 pm: Presentation and Brief Q&A
Location:                              The BELO Mansion – Room TBD
Lunch available (approximately $12 for soup/salad bar; $15 for full buffet, includes drink, tax, gratuity)
CLE:                                        1 hour CLE credit approved

RSVP requested by Friday May 18 to rebecca@jmofirm.com

Hello everyone! I am Rebecca Kitson, and I am excited at the opportunity to run as your Chapter Secretary. In this tumultuous time in immigration law, our clients are facing an uphill battle, and we are called on to be fierce advocates. I am running to be your Chapter Secretary to support you, my amazing colleagues, in your pursuit of justice for your clients.

I’ve taken a back road to get here, including dropping out of high school and leaving home at age 15. I had brushes with the law at 18 and 19 years old, and I learned what it’s like to be detained. It’s an experience I’ve drawn upon in my representation of those facing detention. Nevertheless, there is nothing like the fires of adversity to forge a will to overcome.

For fifteen years, I supported myself and my studies by waiting tables and tending bar, obtaining my GED along the way and starting college. In the slowtimes between customers I learned about the immigrant experience from souls from all over the world: about being undocumented, about the war andstrife people had left behind, as well their dreams for themselves and their children. Those same co-workers encouraged and supported me on the path to becoming an immigration attorney.

I ended up at the University of New Mexico School of Law (UNMSOL) in Albuquerque. I’ve exclusively practiced Immigration Law since graduating, and I’ve been a member of the adjunct faculty at UNMSOL since 2009, and serve as an immigration contract attorney for UNM.

In 2012, I launched my own firm while four months pregnant. I now have two beautiful little girls, aged three and five. Meanwhile, I’ve grown my firmto a staff of fifteen, including two associate attorneys and myself, while actively searching for a fourth. We practice employment-based and family-based immigration, humanitarian relief and removal defense.

I have worked diligently at the local and state level for immigrant advocacy, including working with the Mexican Consulate, the UNM campus sanctuary movement, and the faith community’s sanctuary movement.  I have been active in AILA, serving as the Albuquerque USCIS liaison for years andspeaking regularly for our chapter and nationally. I have served on the Annual Conference CLE committee and now serve on the Chapter donationscommittee. I’ve contributed for the last editions of The Consular Processing Guide.

I know what it is to struggle and to work hard, to juggle practice management, advocacy, community involvement and motherhood. I know that the only way to grow is by serving each other. Thus, my platform supports the current work of Chapter leadership, namely serving the membership through programs and materials in the areas of efficient practice management, fierce advocacy, and self care. Essentially, I want to channel my passion in support of you!

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to run for Chapter Secretary, and I humbly ask for your support.

From our EOIR Liaison Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez

External Schedule Week of 5-7-18

In preparation of our small group meeting, please forward any questions you would like for the Liaison Committee to present for discussion at our next meeting on May 23, 2018.  The deadline to submit questions to the Dallas Field Office is May 9^th,but you can start sending questions now. Keep in mind, the questions should be on procedural issues or problems that you may have encountered, rather than case specific questions. Thanks in advance for providing your questions!

Questions should be sent to:

Dallasliaisonsusan@bondimmigrationlaw.com

Colleagues:

Last year, the AILA Board of Governors voted to remove the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas as a statement of protest against SB4, costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation fees. Instead of using that money to assist our members in litigating the bill, the BOG thought the statement of protest had a bigger impact. The vote only passed by one. This is because we do not have enough leadership from our chapter on the BOG.  Help us change that!

Don’t Mess with TEXAS!!!  Vote Jaqueline Watson and Kelli Stump for BOG, and ONLY vote for us.

Starting May 4, voting can be accessed here: https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Once logged in, you will have the opportunity to vote for seven BOG members.  BUT SEVEN VOTES ARE NOT REQUIRED!  If you only vote for two – Kelli and Jackie – then you don’t cancel out those votes by voting for others.

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS! 

PUT TEXAS ON THE BOG!

STUMP & WATSON BOG

https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Colleagues:

Last year, the AILA Board of Governors voted to remove the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas as a statement of protest against SB4, costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation fees. Instead of using that money to assist our members in litigating the bill, the BOG thought the statement of protest had a bigger impact. The vote only passed by one. This is because we do not have enough leadership from our chapter on the BOG. Help us change that!

Don’t Mess with TEXAS!!! Vote Jaqueline Watson and Kelli Stump for BOG, and ONLY vote for us.

Starting May 4, voting can be accessed here: https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Once logged in, you will have the opportunity to vote for seven BOG members. BUT SEVEN VOTES ARE NOT REQUIRED! If you only vote for two – Kelli and Jackie – then you don’t cancel out those votes by voting for others.

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS!
PUT TEXAS ON THE BOG!

STUMP & WATSON BOG

https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Colleagues:

Last year, the AILA Board of Governors voted to remove the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas as a statement of protest against SB4, costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation fees. Instead of using that money to assist our members in litigating the bill, the BOG thought the statement of protest had a bigger impact. The vote only passed by one. This is because we do not have enough leadership from our chapter on the BOG.  Help us change that!

Don’t Mess with TEXAS!!!  Vote Jaqueline Watson and Kelli Stump for BOG, and ONLY vote for us.

Starting May 4, voting can be accessed here: https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Once logged in, you will have the opportunity to vote for seven BOG members.  BUT SEVEN VOTES ARE NOT REQUIRED!  If you only vote for two – Kelli and Jackie – then you don’t cancel out those votes by voting for others.

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS! 

PUT TEXAS ON THE BOG!

STUMP & WATSON BOG

https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Colleagues:

Last year, the AILA Board of Governors voted to remove the 2018 Annual Conference from Texas as a statement of protest against SB4, costing several hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation fees. Instead of using that money to assist our members in litigating the bill, the BOG thought the statement of protest had a bigger impact. The vote only passed by one. This is because we do not have enough leadership from our chapter on the BOG.  Help us change that!

Don’t Mess with TEXAS!!!  Vote Jaqueline Watson and Kelli Stump for BOG, and ONLY vote for us.

Starting May 4, voting can be accessed here: https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila

Once logged in, you will have the opportunity to vote for seven BOG members.  BUT SEVEN VOTES ARE NOT REQUIRED!  If you only vote for two – Kelli and Jackie – then you don’t cancel out those votes by voting for others.

DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS! 

PUT TEXAS ON THE BOG!

STUMP & WATSON BOG

https://eballot4.votenet.com/aila