Protima Daryanani - ImmigrationAtty.tumblr.com
Other than sites where I get my daily legal updates, I usually check ImmigrationAtty.tumblr.com for a lighthearted take on all things immigration. The author uses GIFs from television and film to express the myriad of emotions we immigration attorneys experience (sometimes in a day). From the insanity of H-1B season, to the unauthorized practice of law, to frustrations with government websites, the author (and contributors) manages to capture the exact sentiment.
Manuel G. Otero - Immigration Impact
The goal of Immigration Impact, launched in 2008 by the American Immigration Council, is to encourage a thoughtful and informed conversation regarding comprehensive immigration reform in the US. It is an excellent resource for news regarding US immigration topics, including reform efforts being undertaken at both the state and national level. The website also focuses on many of the most important topics framing the US immigration reform debate today, including issues regarding border security, enforcement efforts, the economic effects of US immigration policies on businesses and entrepreneurship, as well as addressing the issues raised by “Restrictionist” groups such as the Tea Party. Overall, Immigration Impact debates these issues in a manner that respects both sides of the argument, all in the hope of fostering a civilized debate that will lead to workable and effective comprehensive policy reform.
Matthew Bray - Insightful Immigration Blog
In a friendly collegial spirit (unusual for New York City law firms, I know), I’d like to recommend the Insightful Immigration Blog published by the law firm of Cyrus D. Mehta & Associates, PLLC, a small NYC-based firm. This blog is particularly good at providing technical, lawyerly, and more in-depth analysis on topics relevant to immigration litigators including the latest Second Circuit case law in addition to posts such as the one celebrating the naturalized American who won the Boston marathon this year. The writing is high quality and the analysis top notch. Much like another immigration law blog I know.
Elizabeth Brettschneider - Cool Immigration Lawyers (no link. Invite only. Yep, super cool.)
Did I join this invite-only Facebook group just for the name? I plead the fifth. Not only do I get to feel popular by being a member of this group, but I actually have learned some valuable information. Attorneys can post questions, stories, and immigration-related news articles to this group and have their fellow attorneys comment. Importantly, attorneys also often post questions on procedure or a complicated legal conundrum and this makes the forum a useful place to get trusted opinions on these questions; however, the most enjoyable posts are when attorneys write about their hard-fought victories. I particularly love reading these posts. In the practice of immigration law there can often be complicated fact-patterns, procedural histories, and sometimes confusing government agency actions. So when after years of struggle an attorney can claim a victory and feel like they’ve positively changed the life of their client, it’s nice to have a forum to share with others who understand the struggle. Whenever I feel like my frequent reading of this group’s posts on asylum victories or the latest Department of Labor practices has cemented me as an immigration attorney nerd, all I have to do is look back at the forum title and be assured that, no, in fact I am “cool.”
Ashley Emerson - @USAinUK
The US Embassy in London has its own Twitter handle! Created in May 2008, the US Embassy tweets several times daily and has over 29,900 followers. This Twitter account is a fun and eclectic mix of US and world news, cultural events, and engaging and entertaining happenings. Some of my favorite tweets over the past month have related to the World Cup (see #OneNationOneTeam), a stray duckling being guarded by a US Embassy policeman, and their photo contest--not to mention helpful reminders for such events as the "Ask a Consular Officer" webchats. Overall the Twitter account is informative and entertaining. I highly recommend reading!
Jacki Granet - @joseiswriting and @defineamerican
A few weeks ago, Protima and I saw a riveting documentary called Documented, featuring Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting). Mr. Vargas came to the US as a child and has lived here ever since. Mr. Vargas is an undocumented immigrant. He went to elementary, junior high, and high school in the US, then to college, and is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist working in the US. In the last few years, Mr. Vargas has dedicated his life to championing for immigration rights, including revealing himself as undocumented in a major The New York Times Magazine article in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he started Define American (@defineamerican), a media campaign that aims to shift the dialogue of what it means to be an American. Both Twitter handles offer fascinating stories, lively debate topics, and, perhaps, most importantly, a voice for those who are often afraid to speak out due to their undocumented status.