Clark Hill Member, Thomas K. Ragland, Panelist at American Immigration Lawyers Association’s South Florida Chapter 40th Annual Immigration Law Update on March 1st

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Clark Hill Member, Thomas Ragland, will be a panelist for the following presentations at the AILA South Florida Chapter 40th Annual Immigration Law Update in Miami Beach, Florida on March 1st.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) is the national association of more than 15,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. AILA member attorneys represent U.S. families seeking permanent residence for close family members, as well as U.S. businesses seeking talent from the global marketplace. Founded in 1946, AILA is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that provides continuing legal education, information, professional services, and expertise through its 39 chapters and over 50 national committees.

Oops, I Did It Again: Hot Topics Related to Reentry: Expedited Removal and Reinstatement of Orders of Removal

11:05 AM to 11:55 AM

Panelists will explain how expedited removal and reinstatement of removal work in practice and discuss opportunities  for advocacy. Topics for discussion are:

• Credible and reasonable fear interviews, immigration judge review: legal standards and practice pointers
• Seeking reopening and rescission of expedited removal orders/seeking asylum in withholding-only proceedings
• Aggravated felony allegations and expedited orders of removal: checking the power of CBP
• Criminal prosecution for reentry, role of immigration attorney and strategies for contesting

They Can’t Take That Away From Me – Citizenship Litigation and Denaturalization Proceedings

2:15 PM to 3:05 PM

Citizenship issues are increasingly the subject of federal litigation on the merits, as delays become the norm and oversight of decisions necessary. Also, while historically a niche practice for a few counsel representing alleged war criminals, e.g. Maslenjak v. United States (2017), now all attorneys should consider the risk of denaturalization for any party related to an immigration application. The panel of experts will discuss a variety of litigation positions, seeking to cure delay (mandamus) or prevent stripping of citizenship, addressing:

• Trends in naturalization processing
• CARRP and other delays by the government: When to file a mandamus?
• Effective case preparation: discovering applicant’s history, understanding risk of proceedings and denaturalization
• Task Force on Denaturalization, predominant government theories
• Building and presenting a defensive case

For more information on the conference, please click here. 

Thomas K. Ragland is Member in Charge of Clark Hill’s Washington, D.C. office. Thomas has practiced immigration law for more than 20 years. Prior to joining private practice, Thomas worked for 10 years in the U.S. Department of Justice, joining directly after graduating from law school through the Attorney General’s Honor Program. At DOJ, Thomas represented the government in the Boston Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Civil Division Office of Immigration Litigation. Since leaving the government in 2004, Thomas has devoted himself to guiding individuals and companies through the complex, often overwhelming U.S. immigration system. He brings an unwavering commitment to his clients and a genuine desire to help them achieve their goals and dreams – whether obtaining U.S. citizenship or permanent residence, avoiding deportation, obtaining visas for employees or family members, or challenging agency decisions in federal court. Having worked on both sides of the system, Thomas brings wide-ranging experience and a deep understanding of this country’s immigration laws. He is highly regarded as a top litigator, a creative legal thinker, and a tireless advocate for his clients.