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Immigration Practice Resources

Search immigration practice advisories, sample filings, manuals, brief banks, and government guidance from trusted practitioner sources.

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Immigration court deadline 624 Asylum merits package 95 Motions, stays, and pretermission 139 Bond, detention, and habeas 85 BIA, PFR, and federal court 466 USCIS and AAO appeals 214 Crim-imm screening 158 VAWA, U, T, and survivor relief 197
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Showing 25-36 of 158 resources.

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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Oct 5, 2023

No Crime to Be Poor: Defending Welfare Fraud Allegations in Criminal, Administrative, and Immigration Proceedings

Allegations of “welfare fraud” and “perjury” impact low-income immigrants disproportionately and often have devastating immigration consequences if a conviction results. This practice advisory explains how such allegations and criminal charges impact noncitizens, and are actually more often than not based on benefit caseworker errors, misunderstandings, and miscommunications, including language and literacy barriers, confusing and conflicting benefits program rules, and stem from historically en

Crimes and categorical approach Cross-forum Direct PDF
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NIWAP Library Amicus brief Oct 2, 2023

Francisco Ramirez, Jacqueline Reyes-Mendoza, And Their Minor Child B.R., v Hon. Daylene A. Marsh and David Paulino Padilla-Suazo

Francisco Ramirez, Jacqueline Reyes-Mendoza, And Their Minor Child B.R., v Hon. Daylene A. Marsh and David Paulino Padilla-Suazo Emergency petition for writ of superintending control to the New Mexico Supreme Court in a sexual assault case in which a state court judges ordered U visa applicant victims to turn over in criminal court discovery information contained in the victim’s VAWA confidentiality protected case in violation of federal law. NIWAP is being represented in this appeal by Skadden,

VAWA / U / T Children and SIJS BIA Direct PDF
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National Immigration Project Practice advisory Aug 23, 2023

Practice Alert: Overview of Pugin v. Garland

This practice alert analyzes the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Pugin v. Garland , 143 S. Ct. 1833 (2023). The June 22 opinion addressed the generic definition of the obstruction of justice aggravated felony ground at 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S). The Court held that a conviction may be an offense “relating to obstruction of justice,” even if it does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending or reasonably foreseeable. The practice alert reviews the generic definition of obstruc

Crimes and categorical approach Cross-forum Direct PDF
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American Immigration Council Practice advisory Aug 22, 2023

Practice Alert: Overview of the Supreme Court’s Decision in Pugin v. Garland

On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued Pugin v. Garland , 143 S. Ct. 1833 (2023), an immigration decision addressing the generic definition of the obstruction of justice aggravated felony ground at 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(43)(S). The Court held that a conviction may be an offense “relating to obstruction of justice,” even if it does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending or reasonably foreseeable. In doing so, Pugin reversed favorable case law in the Ninth Circuit, Valenz

Crimes and categorical approach Court of appeals Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jul 17, 2023

Obstruction of Justice: Pugin and California Offenses

Conviction of “obstruction of justice” is an aggravated felony if a sentence of a year or more is imposed. In Pugin v. Garland, No. 22-23 (June 22, 2023) , the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit’s definition of obstruction, but failed to provide a clear definition of its own. Now some California offenses are likely aggravated felonies if there is a sentence of year or more, including Penal Code §§ 32, 69, 136.1, 148, Vehicle Code § 10851, and others.

Crimes and categorical approach Court of appeals Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jun 30, 2023

State of U Visa and T Visa Laws

U nonimmigrant status and T nonimmigrant status, often called “U visas” and “T visas,” are humanitarian forms of immigration relief for certain survivors of crime. Both forms of relief have a certification process by which applicants request certification from law enforcement or other government agencies to document their cooperation. In recent years, many states have enacted U and T visa certification legislation in order to increase access to certifications for those who are eligible. This pra

Crimes and categorical approach Consular practice VAWA / U / T Cross-forum Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Jun 27, 2023

Clean Slate Relief: The Impact on Criminal Record Sharing and Immigration

This memorandum seeks to demystify the contours of criminal record sharing across state boundaries, outlining some of the main structures and laws that govern criminal record sharing, particularly focusing on sharing with federal immigration agencies. We examine how agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) use state criminal record sharing in their enforcement efforts to target noncitizens, and how United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses state records to de

Crimes and categorical approach Naturalization USCIS Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Apr 7, 2023

The Impact of Crimes on TPS Eligibility

This practice advisory provides an overview of the different ways crimes can impact eligibility for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and a framework for analyzing whether an applicant is subject to these bars and potential options to overcome them.

Crimes and categorical approach Special immigrant Cross-forum Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Mar 20, 2023

How to Analyze a Crim-Imm Case: Four Questions to Identify Case Goals

Immigration and crimes, or “crim-imm,” can be challenging. Both immigration and criminal law are difficult on their own. To do crim-imm work, advocates who are expert in one area must learn at least something about law and procedure in the other. It can be hard to know where to start the analysis.

Crimes and categorical approach Evidence and procedure Cross-forum Direct PDF
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National Immigration Project Practice advisory Dec 21, 2022

Crim-Imm Case Law Updates

This resource is designed to help immigration practitioners stay up to date on case law developments over the past year in the area of immigration law and crimes. It initially lists notable case law developments before the BIA and the United States Courts of Appeals. This is followed by case summaries of all published Board of Immigration Appeals decisions that address this area of law in 2022 and a case summary list of United States Courts of Appeals published decisions. The latter list focuses

Crimes and categorical approach BIA appeals BIA Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Nov 2, 2022

New Options for Survivors of Trafficking and Domestic Violence

Survivors of human trafficking and of domestic or sexual violence often are charged and convicted of offenses that arose as a direct result of their exploitation. For noncitizens, the criminal record can cause deportation or destroy their eligibility for humanitarian visas. In the last five years, California has enacted multiple laws to avoid this injustice in criminal court, including a defense to a criminal charge and a vehicle to vacate a past conviction for survivors who were coerced to comm

Removal defense Crimes and categorical approach Consular practice Cross-forum Direct PDF
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Immigrant Legal Resource Center Practice advisory Sep 13, 2022

Confidentiality Protections for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Other Crimes

Because survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes are among the most vulnerable populations in the immigration legal system, numerous laws and policies have been enacted to protect the confidentiality of their information and restrict the disclosure of that information. One source of important protections is codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1367 (Section 1367), which restricts identification of survivors with humanitarian relief claims and disclosure of their information. [1] This p

Crimes and categorical approach VAWA / U / T Cross-forum Direct PDF
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