What is the American Immigration Council?

More than 1 million immigrants arrive on American shores each year through various immigration visas. There are organizations that represent the incoming immigrants and advocate for their rights. American Immigration Council or AIC is one of them. If you’re an immigrant coming into the United States via any visa, you must learn about the AIC and how it can help you if your rights are not protected.

What Is The American Immigration Council (AIC)?

American Immigration Council is a nationwide non-profit 501(c)(3) advocacy group that works towards better immigrants in the United States. As a whole, the organization favors immigration into the United States and influences the US immigration laws as an independent advocacy group. It brings out policy advocacy documents that make strong cases for laws favoring immigrants from time to time.

Besides that, AIC is engaged in litigation and sponsors eligible foreigners or US-based job training. If there’s a law violation that strips immigrants of their 554 legal rights, then AIC stands up for them too at various court levels.

Why Was The American Immigration Council Created?

 AIC was created out of the American Immigration Lawyers Association or AILA. Just like AIC, AILA advocates for the rights and better treatment of immigrants.

AILA is involved, among other agencies, in criticizing the US government policies that support family detention centers. AILA has been denouncing the guidelines since 2014 when the Obama administration launched the policy. The constant criticism continued till 2018 when the Trump administration confirmed to continue with the policy.

The AIC was created in 1987 by the AILA members to counter the regressive immigration laws that are proposed and created to reduce immigration into the country. The council believes that immigrants should be part of the national fabric that benefits all Americans.

AIC also services as the public policy advocacy affiliate for AILA.

What Services Does the American Immigration Council Offers?

 AIC works in various multiple domains that benefit the immigrant community in the United States.

Litigation

 The American Immigration Council has always been a strong critic of most policies that discourage immigration into the United States or inhibits the quality of services offered to the immigrants by the US government.

From time to time, the AIC files litigation against the US government that challenge the decisions made that fundamentally conflict with the immigration policy objective.

One example was the June 2018 case when the immigration advocacy group forced the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expedite hearings for asylum seekers detained at various detention centers for allegedly entering the US illegally.

Another similar objective is the October 2018 case of USCIS “Not a Specialty Occupation” H-1B Petition Denial. The USCIS sought to reverse the restrictions placed on the H-1B visas of “specialty occupation.” AIC challenged the decision in the court and forced USCIS to reconsider the decision.

News Analysis

The AIC runs the independent portal ImmigrationImpact.com, where it shares various immigration policies that are proposed to be effective.

American Immigration Council has a regular staff committee that independently reviews the proposed policies and news. Anyone can access the portal and read the commentaries for free. This helps people to get a deeper understanding of the proposed changes.

As an example, the AIC conducted an analysis of the US government’s decision to allow entry to an estimated 4,000 caravans, which consisted of mostly Honduran asylum seekers. They intended to enter the US without the need for authorization.

Another analysis was of the news of DHS then-secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and her proposed refugee detention policy that later faced heavy criticism. AIC argued that it was inhumane and unethical to separate children from their parents at the detention centers.

Policy Analysis

Besides the latest news, the American Immigration Council also reviews the proposed policy changes and creation. Based on how severe the policies are towards the immigrant community, AIC prepares drafts to promote the betterment of immigrants as a counter-argument.

 As an example, consider the May 2014 fact sheet that explained the steps a refugee must undergo before he can obtain his asylum status. The sheet also detailed the circumstances for USCIS under which it can accept or reject the asylum applications. AIC independently reviewed the policy and suggested improvements that would benefit the asylum seekers and USCIS mutually.

Another similar analysis was of a January 2011 report that favored granting legal status to all illegal immigrants in the US. The argument was that doing so would boost job creation in the US. The American Immigration Council put forth its own perspective and favored such decisions.

Cultural Exchange

 The AIC actively promotes cross-cultural interaction and education that would mutually benefit the immigrants and Americans. The group runs programs that sponsor foreign trainees to come and work temporarily at various host organizations across the United States.

 AIC provides direct support to the interns and trainees for obtaining the J visa. Along with interns, the group lends support to businesses and organizations that seek to hire them.

Conclusion

 The US accepts one of the highest numbers of immigrants in the world. As the immigration laws evolve and either favor or disfavor immigration, AIC aims to work accordingly. If you’re an immigrant coming into the United States, you should stay up to date with the non-profit organization. They update their publication regularly.

Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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