AILA Presents Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network with the 2026 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) recognizes the Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network (GAIN) with the 2026 Michael Maggio Memorial Pro Bono Award for outstanding efforts in providing pro bono representation in the immigration field.

GAIN has been serving immigrant survivors across Georgia for two decades, providing free immigration legal services and holistic support to more than 1,000 clients and family members annually, including asylum seekers and survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Described as having been "instrumental in building the immigration pro bono movement in Atlanta," nominators lauded GAIN's Bond Court Watch Program in particular. The program "launched in late 2024 has brought much-needed transparency and accountability to immigration proceedings while engaging hundreds of local and national volunteers… To date, over 100 volunteers have documented more than 1,000 bond hearings in Georgia, tracking trends in bond adjudications. GAIN produces insights and analysis from this large-scale data… Notably, GAIN's data substantiated attorneys' anecdotal reports that judges began arbitrarily denying bond to most detained immigrants in early 2026-this objective evidence helped persuade a federal judge to order discovery in a federal lawsuit challenging those denials."

The impact of GAIN has been critical given that the state is known for extremely limited access to counsel for detained immigrants. In 2024, in response to clear needs within the state, GAIN increased its "detained representation capacity, collaborating on a detained centralized referral process, training new advocates, and partnering with AILA attorneys to take on complex cases, including challenges to unlawful prolonged detention."

The nomination materials highlight that "GAIN exemplifies the highest ideals of pro bono service: not only expanding access to counsel for the most vulnerable, but also strengthening the broader legal community and advancing systemic accountability. Its model leverages volunteers, empowers advocates, and produces measurable, field-shaping impact."