AILA Texas/New Mexico/Oklahoma Spring Conference – San Antonio, Texas
April 8 - April 10
Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
$50.00 – $650.00
The Spring Chapter Conference will take place April 8–10, 2026 at the historic Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. Early bird pricing on conference tickets is available through Sunday, March 1.
The conference has two tracks: Advanced Family-Based Immigration/Removal Defense and Advanced Business Immigration. Click the Agenda tab on this page for details.
Click the Tickets & Reservations tab on this page to purchase conference tickets, RSVP for the Bienvenida reception and CLE, and reserve your room in our discounted block.
Click here to download the flyer to share with colleagues.
Wednesday, April 8
| Start Time | End Time | Track | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 pm | 8:00 pm | All | Bienvenida Happy Hour Sponsored by: Included for all conference attendees. Please purchase a Happy Hour Additional Guest Admission ticket for each guest. |
| 5:30 pm | 6:30 pm | All | Plenary Strategies for Defending Asylum Seekers Panelists will provide updates regarding detention practice, cover key strategies including fighting motions to pretermit, and discuss ACA and other laws impacting people’s right to apply for asylum. Speakers: |
Thursday, April 9
| Start Time | End Time | Track | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 am | All | Registration |
|
| 8:30 am | All | Welcome by Chapter Chair Guillermo Hernandez, San Antonio, TX |
|
| 8:45 am | 9:40 am | All | Plenary Federal Litigation Updates
Speakers: |
| 9:45 am | 10:40 am | All | Plenary Ethical AI in Your Immigration Practice
Speakers: |
| 10:45 am | 11:40 am | All | Plenary Insights to Federal Court Practice Federal judges and federal court practitioners will share best practices and tips for litigating in federal court. The session will focus on immigration related litigation. Federal judges will share points of view and insights from the bench. Speakers: |
| 11:45 am | 1:15 pm | All | Plenary Lunch and Business Meeting |
| 1:15 pm | 2:10 pm | Family/Removal | ICE/CBP Hot Topics This panel will explore current trends and hot topics at CBP and ICE, including key policy shifts under the current administration. Speakers: |
| 1:15 pm | 2:10 pm | Business | Immigration Strategies for Foreign Graduates
Speakers: |
| 2:15 pm | 3:10 pm | Family/Removal | Handling Fraudulent or Poorly Prepared Applications As more people are in need of representation, many people turn to notarios or others to assist them. These applications are often poorly prepared, and sometimes fraudulent. Panelists will discuss how to manage cases for people in this situation, and what tips or techniques you can use to minimize the damage to your client’s case. They will also discuss the ethical issues involved. Speakers: |
| 2:15 pm | 3:10 pm | Business | PWD and PERM Strategies
Speakers: |
| 3:15 pm | 3:30 pm | All | Break |
| 3:30 pm | 4:25 pm | Family/Removal | Not Just Habeas: Family Based Litigation Options Panelists will discuss litigation options for family-based applications, naturalization, and FOIA. Speakers: |
| 3:30 pm | 4:25 pm | Business | Beyond PERM: EB-1, NIW, and Strategic Alternatives to Labor Certification
Speakers: |
| 4:25 pm | All | Closing Announcements |
|
| 5:30 pm | 6:30 pm | All | Optional Wine Tasting Excursion at Casa Guipzot (La Villita) Additional details forthcoming |
Friday, April 10
| Start Time | End Time | Track | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 am | All | Opening Remarks and Sponsor Feature |
|
| 8:45 am | 9:40 am | Family/Removal | Asylum Law Update The BIA has published a series of cases changing asylum law, sometimes even weekly. This panel will review these cases, and any other important cases in asylum law, giving you a sense of where things stand in asylum law. Speakers: |
| 8:45 am | 9:40 am | Business | H-1B Debrief and 2026 Filing Strategies
Speakers: |
| 9:45 am | 10:40 am | Family/Removal | Habeas and Detention Related Litigation As the Trump administration ramps up detention, attorneys have been using habeas to fight back. Panelists will provide an update on habeas and detention related litigation and discuss the current trends and best practices. Speakers: |
| 9:45 am | 10:40 am | Business | H-2B and Skilled Worker PERM
Speakers: |
| 10:40 am | 10:55 am | All | Break |
| 10:55 am | 11:00 am | All | Sponsor Feature |
| 11:00 am | 11:55 am | Family/Removal | EOIR Hot Topics This panel will discuss current trends and best practices before EOIR. Speakers: |
| 11:00 am | 11:55 am | Business | L-1, E-2, and Related Permanent Resident Practice for Intracompany and Treaty Works
Speakers: |
| 11:55 am | 11:30 am | All | Break and Gather Lunch |
| 12:30 pm | 1:25 pm | Family/Removal | Lunch panel Strategies for Humanitarian Relief Panelists will review the current state of affairs for DACA, U visas, and T visas. Speakers: |
| 12:30 pm | 1:25 pm | Business | Lunch panel How to Prepare Businesses for Worksite Enforcement
Speakers: |
| 1:30 pm | 2:25 pm | Family/Removal | Naturalization/Denaturalization The Trump administration’s focus on naturalization has included good moral character requirements and home visits, and there are delays in adjudicating cases. This panel will review changes to the naturalization process and discuss practice pointers. They will also discuss denaturalization. Speakers: |
| 1:30 pm | 2:25 pm | Business | Advanced PERM Strategy: Recruitment, Compliance, and Timing
Speakers: |
| 2:25 pm | 2:40 pm | All | Break |
| 2:40 pm | 2:50 pm | All | Sponsor Feature |
| 2:50 pm | 3:45 pm | Family/Removal | USCIS/DOS Hot Topics This panel will discuss current trends in family-based cases before USCIS and DOS. Speakers: |
| 2:50 pm | 3:45 pm | Business | Border Practice Updates (TN, Northern/Southern Border)
Speakers: |
| 3:45 pm | All | Closing Remarks and End of Conference |
Conference Tickets
Use the form below to purchase conference tickets.
**Early bird ticket prices for the conference are available through Sunday, March 1, 2026. Regular pricing for conference tickets takes effect on Monday, March 2, 2026.**
There will a $50 cancellation fee for refunds. No refunds will be processed after Monday, March 9, 2026.
Bienvenida CLE and Happy Hour Reception
We will host a Bienvenida CLE on Wednesday, April 8th, from 5:30–6:30 p.m., with a reception and happy hour continuing until 8:00 p.m. with food, drinks, and mariachis! You must RSVP for the Bienvenida at the time you purchase your conference ticket.
The CLE and reception are included for everyone who registers for the conference. Additional guests to the Bienvenida will need to purchase tickets. You can purchase a Happy Hour Additional Guest Admission ticket for each guest.
Accommodations
CLICK HERE to reserve a room in our discounted conference block at the historic Menger Hotel. Our hotel blocks usually sell out well ahead of the conference, so make your reservations now!