WASHINGTON, DC — The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has honored Jesse M. Bless, founder of Bless Litigation, LLC, with the prestigious 2025 Jack Wasserman Memorial Award for outstanding achievements in immigration law litigation.
Bless earned the accolade for his groundbreaking legal victories, including becoming the first attorney to secure summary judgment against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in cases involving T nonimmigrant visa denials for human trafficking survivors. Federal judges repeatedly overturned USCIS’s rejections, which had wrongly claimed survivors were ineligible because they initially consented to smuggling.
His nominators also highlighted his success in reversing adoption-related denials, including over a dozen orphan petition approvals in 2024 and a landmark victory in a published case. Additionally, Bless has played a key role in high-profile class-action lawsuits challenging policies such as travel bans, the public charge rule, and DOL wage regulations.
With a career spanning government service, private practice, and advocacy, Bless previously served in the Department of Justice’s Attorney General Honors Program (2004–2017) before joining AILA as its first Director of Federal Litigation in 2019. There, he co-counseled major lawsuits against restrictive immigration policies. He launched his firm, Bless Litigation, in 2022.
AILA praised Bless as a “brilliant litigator and mentor” whose expertise has guided peers and advanced immigrant rights. The Wasserman Award recognizes his dedication to justice and leadership in the field.
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