What Happened at AILA's 2026 Annual Conference in San Diego — and Why It Matters for Immigrants

⚠️ This article was reviewed by Jinwen Liu, Esq., licensed attorney in New York. Last updated: June 19, 2026.

From June 17 to 20, 2026, thousands of immigration attorneys, law professors, paralegals, and students gathered at the Marriott Marquis and the adjacent Manchester Grand Hyatt on the San Diego waterfront for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Annual Conference and Webcast — known this year as AC26. It is the largest annual event in U.S. immigration law, and AILA framed the moment plainly: immigration law and policy are at a pivotal juncture.

For clients and families navigating the system, a lawyers' conference can feel remote. But the topics that draw thousands of practitioners are a useful barometer of where the pressure points are right now. Here is what stood out.

A program built around a changing landscape

AC26 offered more than 90 CLE-eligible sessions — part of more than 120 sessions overall — across four days and six tracks. Newer attorneys could follow a Fundamentals Track, while experienced practitioners chose among specialized tracks spanning family immigration, business immigration, humanitarian issues, removal defense, and litigation. The heavy emphasis on removal defense and litigation — including sessions on trial skills, habeas corpus, and third-country removals — reflects an enforcement environment that many practitioners are preparing for in earnest.