Timeline
... of AILA History

November 22, 1946
1954

1977
Benjamin Gim becomes AILA’s first Asian-American president

1978-1979
AINL’s Immigration Newsletter is first produced

1979-1991
AINL’s Immigration Journal is first produced

1981
AINL changes its name to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

1981-1999
AILA’s Monthly Mailing is first produced

1982
AILA hires its first executive director, Warren Leiden, and opens a national office in Washington, D.C.

May 28, 1982
AILA holds its first Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX

1987
The American Immigration Law Foundation is founded

1991-1992
AILA’s Inside Immigration periodical is first produced

1993
AILA Dispatch is first produced

1996
AILA held its first "Lobby Day," now known as a National Day of Action

1996
Denyse Sabagh becomes AILA’s first Arab-American president

1997
Jeanne Butterfield becomes Executive Director of AILA

1997
Launch of AILALink

2000
AILA purchases its first national headquarters building

2000 - 2008
Immigration Law Today publication is first produced

2006
Carlina Tapia-Ruano becomes AILA’s first Latina president

January 1, 2008
AILA sold 918 F Street NW, and moved to 1331 G Street NW

September 28, 2009
Crystal Williams became the Executive Director of AILA

June 2010-April 2015
VOICE: An Immigration Dialogue is produced

June 21, 2012
AILA produces its first AILA8, a daily e-newsletter that allows members to read the top 8 immigration items of the day in 8 minutes or less.

February 19, 2015
AILA reincorporates in Washington, D.C.

June 18, 2015
Victor Nieblas-Pradis becomes AILA’s first Mexican-American president

January 11, 2016
Ben Johnson becomes the executive director of AILA

June 19, 2017
AILA and Council launch the Immigration Justice Campaign

June 10, 2021
Allen Orr becomes AILA’s first African American, openly gay president