The AILA Upstate NY Chapter invites you to its 2026 Northern Border Conference on October 1st and 2nd, 2026 at the Buffalo Marriott at LECOM HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, NY. This year’s conference brings together immigration law professionals for two days of learning and networking. Held in downtown Buffalo, NY, the conference will feature two tracks covering important immigration topics. Register today!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
4:00 p.m.
Welcome and Introduction
4:05 p.m. – 5:05 p.m.
Changes in Asylum Law: How to get to an Individual Hearing
Faculty:
Siana McLean, Richards and Jurusik, Buffalo, NY (Discussion Leader)
Retired Immigration Judge Walter Ruehle, Senior Training Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Rochester, Rochester, NY
5:10 p.m. – 6:10 p.m.
Ethics in the Rapidly Evolving Landscape of U.S. Immigration Law: As immigration practitioners navigate unprecedented legal, technological, and professional challenges, ethical obligations remain constant.
Faculty:
Lindsay A. Curcio, Law Office of Lindsay A. Curcio, Niagara Falls, NY (Discussion Leader)
Rosanna Fox, Lepore Taylor Fox LLP, AILA National Elected Director, Livingston, NJ
Russell Abrutyn, Abrutyn Law PLLC, Southfield, MI
Farah Al-khersan, Chair of the Ethics Committee for AILA National, Al-khersan Law PLLC, Ann Arbor, MI
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
8:00 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
Breakfast, Check-in, Networking
8:45 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction
8:50 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
CBP Update: Trends and Insights from Airports and the Northern Border
Faculty:
Zabrina V. Reich, Hodgson Russ LLP, AILA Upstate NY Chair, Buffalo, NY
Alexis S. Axelrad, Barst Mukamal & Kleiner LLP, AILA National President-Elect, New York, NY
Frank Russo, Director of Field Operations, CBP, New York Field Office, New York, NY
Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, CBP, Buffalo Field Office, Buffalo, NY (Invited)
Jill Kulczyk, Immigration Program Manager, CBP, Buffalo Field Office, Buffalo, NY
Gregory Bennett, Watch Commander, CBP, Port of Buffalo, NY (Invited)
Break (10 Min)
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Federal Litigation Update: Overview of significant immigration decisions in the last year, with focus on Supreme Court decisions
Faculty:
Aaron Aisen, Lead Counsel for Federal Litigation, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project Inc., Buffalo, NY
Todd Pomerleau, Rubin Pomerleau, PC, Boston, MA
Christine Smith, Latham & Walkins, Washington, DC
11:05 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.
What's Happening at USCIS: Policy Memos, Adjudication Trends, and Practice Pointers
Faculty:
Jen Behm, Berardi Immigration Law, Buffalo, NY (Discussion Leader)
Douglas Pierce, Former USCIS Supervisor, Detroit, MI
Nicole Simon, Landau, Hess, Simon, & Doebley, Philadelphia, PA
Rebecca Desnoyers, Nilan Johnson Lewis PA, Minneapolis, MN
12:15 p.m. – 12:55 p.m. Lunch
Removal/Family Track
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
USCIS benefits for individuals in removal proceedings
Faculty:
Bryan Gilbert-Overland, Staff Attorney for Federal Litigation, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc., Buffalo, NY (Discussion Leader)
Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez, Saenz-Rodriguez & Associates, PC, AILA National Treasurer, Dallas, TX
Jeannie Kain, Kain Immigration, LLC, Boston, MA
Grace Zaiman, Grace Zaiman, Esq., Rochester, NY
2:05 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.
What to do after a DHS arrest: Steps to take if a client gets arrested by DHS
Faculty:
Rosanna Eugenio, Attorney-in-Charge, New York Immigration Coalition, New York, NY
Jamy Patterson, Supervising Attorney, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc., Batavia, NY
Raymond Peters, Supervising Attorney, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc., Batavia, NY
Break (10 Min)
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Habeas Petitions: Challenging Unlawful Detention through the use of Habeas Corpus
Faculty:
Rekha Sharma-Crawford, Sharma-Crawford Attorneys-At-Law, AILA National Second Vice President, Kansas City, MO
Siana McLean, Richards and Jurusik, Buffalo, NY
Brenda Cisneros Vilchis, Director of Detained Immigration Program, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project Inc., Buffalo, NY (Moderator)
Break (10 Min)
4:25 p.m. -5:25 p.m.
Fundamentals of handling a Petition for Review in the Second Circuit
Faculty:
Aaron Aisen, Lead Counsel for Federal Litigation, ECBA Volunteer Lawyers Project Inc., Buffalo, NY
Brian Feldman, Aurelian Law, Rochester, NY
Todd Pomerleau, Rubin Pomerleau, PC, Boston, MA
Business Track
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Hot Topics in Employment-based Immigration Law
Faculty:
Andrew Wilson, Lippes Mathias, LLP, Buffalo, NY (Discussion Leader)
Margaret Wilson, Pilkington Immigration Law, Guelph, ON
Robin O’Donoghue, Principal, O’Donoghue Law, LLC, Cambridge, MA
Ian Hopper, Government Relations Director, Green and Spiegel LLC, Retired Senior Diplomat & Consular Officer, Philadelphia, PA
2:05 p.m. - 3:05 p.m.
E1 and E-2 Visa Programs: Latest Challenges and Consular Trends
Faculty:
Beatriz Ballerini, Trillos-Ballerini Law Firm, PC, Houston, TX (Discussion Leader)
Zach Ahlstrom, Berardi Immigration Law, Buffalo, NY
Michael O’Rourke, Pace Immigration, LATAM Division, Toronto, ON
Jonathan Grode, Green and Spiegel LLC, Philadelphia, PA
Break (10 minutes)
3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
The Green Card Was Set Up to Fail: Diagnosing and Rescuing At-Risk Cases
Faculty:
Sylvia Yong, KPMG Law Canada, Toronto, ON (Discussion Leader)
Danille Rizzo, Phillips Lytle, Buffalo, NY
Michael P. Nowlan, Clark Hill PLC, AILA National Elected Director, Detroit, MI
Miki Matrician, WR Immigration, AILA National Elected Director, Boston, MA
Break (10 Min)
4:25 pm – 5:25 pm
Future of Law Practice: Trends, Tools, and Transformations
Faculty:
Hannah Little, Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm, AILA National Technology & Innovation Committee Chair (Charlotte, NC)
Charity Anastasio, Practice and Ethics Counsel, AILA National, Washington, DC
Elizabeth Rompf Bruen, Delgado Rompf Bruen LLC, AILA Elected Director, Chicago, IL
5:30 p.m. – Closing Remarks
Happy Hour Networking Reception to Follow
CLE Credits
CLE credit is generously sponsored by Hodgson Russ LLP. Attendees may obtain eight (8) NY CLE credits. Attendees must sign into the conference and complete and submit a validation worksheet to obtain proof of credits.
2026 Conference Planning Committee:
Elizabeth Buscaglia, Combined and Business Track Co-Chair
Zabrina Reich, Combined and Business Track Co-Chair
Aaron Aisen, Removal/Family Track Co-Chair
Brenda Cisneros Vilchis, Removal/Family Track Co-Chair
Jennifer Behm
Erica Chiodo
Cara Cox
Lindsay A. Curcio
Marisol Estrada-Cruz
Bryan Gilbert-Overland
Lindsey Hornung
Richard Link
Siana McLean
Grace Vensel
Gabriella Walsh
Margaret Wilson
Sylvia Yong