Practice Areas

IMMIGRATION, TRAVEL & TOURISM

C. Stewart Verdery, Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Timothy E. Punke, Andrew Howell, Scott Corley, Rich Thomas, Jane Alonso, Lora Ries, and Ryan Spangler

Travel into and within the U.S. – to work, visit, or study – has become a crucial component for American competitiveness and a key policy issue for a wide range of companies and organizations. The threat of terrorism and concerns about illegal immigration, espionage, and pandemic threats, however, have created intense pressure to regulate the flow of workers, customers, employees, students, and tourists.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies have deployed a vast array of programs to attempt to facilitate legitimate travelers while stopping those who would do us harm or choose to disobey our laws.

Monument Policy Group represents a number of the industries and organizations most affected by immigration and travel policy. Our Immigration, Travel, and Tourism Practice utilizes unique insights into into the executive branch and Congressional players developing immigration and travel policies that affect the movement of people into and within the U.S. and across international boundaries.

Our team includes Monument Policy's Group's founding partner, Stewart Verdery, who served as the first Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at DHS. In that capacity, he led efforts to develop and implement policies related to immigration, visa policy, travel facilitation, and transportation security. Partner Jessica Herrera-Flanigan served as the Staff Director and General Counsel for the House Committee on Homeland Security, where she managed the Committee’s legislative, policy, and oversight activities, including those relating to border security, visa waiver, transportation and aviation security, and international security.

Senior Vice President Scott Corley has worked extensively on immigration issues, focusing primarily on high-skilled immigration issues. He has served as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee within Compete America, a coalition focused on the education, recruitment and retention of skilled talent in the United States and from around the world. Senior Counsel Lora Ries brings a wealth of hands-on experience in the immigration and travel fields, having served in senior positions at the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice and as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. Other members of our team have worked extensively with travel organizations and immigration advocacy groups as private sector advocates and in a variety of government positions.

Monument Policy Group maintains close relationships with federal agencies with immigration and travel responsibilities, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Transportation Security Administration, US-VISIT, the U.S. Coast Guard, the DHS Office of Policy, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and all White House offices with a role in policy development, coordination, and funding.

Building on years of bipartisan service in the Congress, we additionally have excellent relationships with key Congressional Committees, including Senate and House Homeland Security, Senate and House Judiciary, Senate Commerce, House Transportation, Senate Foreign Relations, House Foreign Affairs, and Senate and House Appropriations. We also work with foreign governments, business stakeholders, and a variety of interest groups.

 REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

• Serve as a primary consulting resource for the broadest travel association, for whom we have developed and helped implement a blueprint to improve the visa and entry process for international travelers, successfully expanded visa-free travel to the U.S., advocated for a landmark travel promotion campaign, and advised on a myriad of security, capacity, tax, and regulatory issues.

• Represent the world’s largest software company on employment-based visa issues.

• Act as the chief lobbyist for the leading business travel organization in the world, for whom we have supported legislation to assist business travelers, advocated for travel infrastructure, helped create and fund a new trusted traveler program for international travelers, and spoken before dozens of client events around the world on travel issues.

• Acted as executive director for two years for the federal advisory Secure Borders and Open Doors Advisory Committee on behalf of the committee co-chair, including drafting a comprehensive report to improve U.S. travel policy.

• Advocated for the leading bar association of immigration practitioners.

• Represented a business coalition supporting comprehensive immigration reform.

• Represent technology companies selling products and services designed to protect international travel.

• Developed a legislative and agency strategy in support of the Registered Traveler program for the largest RT provider.

• Represent technology companies on immigration systems issues and credentialing programs.

• Support a non-profit sports committee on security-related and border issues.

• Assist a leading online travel provider with tax and regulatory issues.

• Assist a trade association with travel issues related to Asia-Pacific business travel.

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