Podcasts about Catholic Legal Immigration Network

In episode 2 of NAWL's Bridging Divides series, NAWL member Autumn Tertin engages in a compelling conversation on immigration with Jennie Guilfoyle from VECINA. They explore the recent shifts in immigration policy and address the critical implications of immigrant-focused disinformation under the new presidential administration. Tune in to learn more about VECINA's volunteer opportunities and discover how you can take action.To learn more about VECINA and how you can actively combat immigrant hate, visit: Get Involved - VECINA. Your support makes a difference. Jennie Guilfoyle is VECINA's Legal Director. She has worked in the immigration field for 25 years. most recently as the former Deputy Director for the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council. Before joining the Council, she spent four years as an Attorney Adviser at the State Department in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, working on issues ranging from citizenship to intercountry adoption. Prior to that, she worked for many years as a Senior Training Attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, designing and leading in-person and online trainings on a wide range of immigration law topics. She also worked at Church World Service, where she trained refugee resettlement programs on immigration law and program management. She began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works fellow at the New York Association for New Americans, where she represented asylum seekers and VAWA applicants. Jennie studied English as an undergraduate at Harvard, and earned her J.D. at New York University School of Law. Autumn Tertin is an Attorney in McLane Middleton's Corporate and Immigration Department, where her practice focuses exclusively on U.S. employment-based immigration law.  She assists employers across the U.S. with temporary and permanent visa solutions in a wide variety of industries.  Autumn also assists immigrant investors and entrepreneurs, as well as other specialized foreign nationals such as individuals with extraordinary ability, professors and researchers, and those seeking national interest waivers.  In addition, she works with many New England employers seeking short-term staffing solutions through the H-2B visa program.  Autumn also handles I-9 audit and compliance matters, and is a frequent presenter to the HR community on these topics.  She works with area universities on student visa issues and I-17 certifications as well.Autumn serves as Chair of the National Association of Women Lawyers Immigration Law Affinity Group and is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She has also served as the NH USCIS Liaison for the American Immigration Lawyers Association New England Chapter. Autumn was previously selected as a Super Lawyers New England Rising Star in 2021 – 2023, an honor only bestowed upon 2.5% of attorneys per state.  She is a lifetime member of the Polish Women's Alliance of America (now part of FCSLA), and has held various chapter officer positions within the organization.  Autumn is also a former Vice-President of the Polish American Congress of New Hampshire.Prior to joining McLane Middleton, Autumn was an Attorney at GoffWilson for over 10 years.  She has been active in the immigration law field since 2005, having worked as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal for several Metro Detroit immigration firms prior to and during law school. Autumn earned her Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law as a Public Interest Scholar, and is a member of the New Hampshire Bar.  She received her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy.

In this interview, Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member of DePaul University's College of Law, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Program, and the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy interviews Heidi Altman, the Policy Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center (www.immigrantjustice.org).  Ms. Altman discusses a proposed rule that will effectively preclude most asylum-seekers from safely and effectively applying for asylum in the United States. She advocates for humanitarian asylum welcome.  She previously served as the legal director for the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition and was a Teaching Fellow in the immigration clinic at Georgetown University Law School.  ACTION STEPS 1.       Invite friends and family to learn how the proposed rule will undermine refugee protection and encourage them to respond to their elected representatives and the Biden administration urging withdrawal of the proposed rule.2.      The Sanctuary Working Group of the Chicago Religious Leadership Network currently serves and advocates alongside newly arrived asylum seekers in the Chicagoland area.  There are many impactful ways you can help asylum seekers, from providing sponsorship and temporary housing to covering legal fees and advocating for policy change.  Interested individuals, faith communities, or organizations may contact CRLN staff/consultant David Fraccaro at davidfraccaro99@gmail.com to talk about ways to partner together in supporting and protecting our newest neighbors.  RESOURCES“Solutions for a Humane Border Policy,” National Immigrant Justice Center, January 17, 2023: https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/solutions-humane-border-policy“Proposed Ban on Asylum Violates US Law and Catholic Social Teaching,” Catholic Legal Immigration Network, February 22, 2023: https://www.cliniclegal.org/press-releases/proposed-ban-asylum-violates-us-law-and-catholic-social-teaching “Biden Asylum Ban Will Endanger Refugees, Center for Gender and Refugee Rights, February 21, 2023: https://cgrs.uchastings.edu/news/biden-asylum-ban-will-endanger-refugeesThe proposed rule is scheduled for publication on February 23, 2023:  https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-03718.pdf Craig Mousin volunteers with the National Immigrant Justice Center. We welcome your inquiries or suggestions for future podcasts.  If you would like to ask more questions about our podcasts or comment, email us at: mission.depaul@gmail.com  

This is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member of the DePaul University's College of Law, Refugee and Forced Migrations Studies Program and the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy.  The podcast requests listeners to file comments opposing DHS and DOJ proposed regulations governing Credible Fear Screening by Asylum Officers.ACTION STEP: You can file comments opposing part of or all of the proposed regulations before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Tuesday October 19.  CLINIC, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., has provided a sample template that provides instructions and helpful arguments to prepare and then submit your comments.  https://uchastings.app.box.com/s/qxj0pz0e7ehn8a1yontxz7gwvddad3ng If you are unable to meet this Tuesday's deadline, please consider corresponding with the White House and your Senators and Representative to oppose these proposed regulations.  The template offers sample language you might find helpful in communicating with elected representatives.These proposed regulations, in the alleged name of effectiveness, efficiency, and streamlining, may preclude many deserving asylum seekers from obtaining a full and fair hearing before an Immigration Judge, and therefore, be denied asylum and other remedies.  DHS and DOJ have invited members of the public to comment on the proposals.  The template above offers a relatively simple way to respond.  The template provides significant information and resources on the failings of the proposed regulations.  You can submit your comments and also view the proposed regulations and explanation at:  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/08/20/2021-17779/procedures-for-credible-fear-screening-and-consideration-of-asylum-withholding-of-removal-and-cat#open-commentYou may find more information on the proposed regulations in a summary by the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at:   https://uchastings.app.box.com/s/651zlybechnqq4ktk5rllihkybih9mx0Jeffrey Chase's quote comes from his blog, “The Need for Full-Fledged Asylum Hearings,” October 6, 2021 at: https://www.jeffreyschase.com/blog/2021/10/6/the-need-for-full-fledged-asylum-hearingsThe $15 million-dollar contract with the GEO Group is cited in Rafael Bernal, “US Faces Daunting Task in Relationship with Haiti,” October 10, 2021 at:https://thehill.com/latino/576036-us-faces-daunting-task-in-relationship-with-haiti  More information on how private for-profit detention corporations undermine our nation's commitment to access to attorneys, due process, and commitments made to asylum seekers can be found at:  Statement of the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Hearing Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation & Operations Oversight of ICE Detention Facilities: Examining ICE Contractors' Response to COVID-19 July 13, 2020, https://immigrantjustice.org/sites/default/files/content-type/commentary-item/documents/2020-07/NIJCStatement_HouseHomelandSecurityCommitteeHearing_2020-07-13.pdf More information on tent courts and the difficulty attorneys face in meeting with clients to prepare cases can be found at, Mousin, Craig B., Health Inequity and Tent Court Injustice (February 1, 2021). AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(2):E132-139, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3777549

The 18th Annual Immigration Law and Policy conference opened with welcoming remarks from: Anna Gallagher, Executive Director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.; MPI President Andrew Selee; and William M. Treanor, Dean and Executive Vice President of Georgetown University Law Center, Following introductory remarks, MPI Senior Fellow and Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy program Doris Meissner engaged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas in the keynote conversation.

Charles Wheeler is Director of Training and Legal Support for Catholic Legal Immigration Network and Author of the most seminal books addressing the inner workings and legal nuances surrounding CSPA, “AILA's Focus on the Child Status Protection Act". We discuss the major provisional changes he witnessed over the years covering CSPA.

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center which later became the National Immigrant Justice Center (www.immigrantjustice.org), and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University's College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He responds to the federal government's proposed regulations that would limit the discretion of Immigration Judges and change the procedure for appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals. These proposed rules will hinder the ability of individuals to pursue cases without lawyers and increase the difficulty of pro bono representation by volunteer lawyers. Cumulatively, if implemented, they will harm our communities and undermine our system of justice. We encourage you to file your own comments opposing part or all of the proposed procedures and asking the government to withdraw the entire proposed rule. To assist you in obtaining a link to the proposed procedures or in filing your comment, you may incorporate your remarks into one of the templates provided by the following:Our colleagues at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. have provided sample comments and a link to file comments at: cliniclegal.org/resources/federal…oir-proposed-ruleYou may also find the American Immigration Lawyers Association's template at:www.aila.org/takeaction#/88Both websites provide additional information on how the proposed regulations restrict access to the courts and prevent bona fide applicants from litigating and their cases. To be accepted by the government, please ensure your comments are filed on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 25, 2020.The critical point remains that you choose at least one element of the proposed rules that you believe is incompatible with our nation's commitment to fair process to achieve justice and make your voice heard.Justice Ginsburg's law review article, “In Pursuit of the Public Good: Access to Justice in the United States,” 7 Washington University Journal of Law & Policy 1, 8 (2001) can be found at: openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcont…l_law_policyThe Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals case can be found at page 8 of Meza Morales v. Barr, 2020 WL 5268986, (7th Cir.).The TRAC Immigration report from Syracuse University on “The Life and Death of Administrative Closure” can be found at: trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/623/ (September 10, 2020).Please share this podcast and links with members of your community or faith organizations, family members and friends. Encourage them to file comments to help ensure that our nation continues its commitment to a fair process and access to justice. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

What is the Remain in Mexico policy or the Migrant Protection Protocols? When did it begin? Who does it affect? How many people are under this program? What are the "protections" given? Guest: Tania Guerrero, Immigration Attorney, Estamos Unidos Asylum Project with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC).

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center which later became the National Immigrant Justice Center (www.immigrantjustice.org), and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He responds to the federal government’s proposed regulations that would limit the discretion of Immigration Judges and change the procedure for appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals. These proposed rules will hinder the ability of individuals to pursue cases without lawyers and increase the difficulty of pro bono representation by volunteer lawyers. Cumulatively, if implemented, they will harm our communities and undermine our system of justice. We encourage you to file your own comments opposing part or all of the proposed procedures and asking the government to withdraw the entire proposed rule. To assist you in obtaining a link to the proposed procedures or in filing your comment, you may incorporate your remarks into one of the templates provided by the following: Our colleagues at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. have provided sample comments and a link to file comments at: https://cliniclegal.org/resources/federal-administrative-advocacy/clinic-template-comment-eoir-proposed-rule You may also find the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s template at: https://www.aila.org/takeaction#/88 Both websites provide additional information on how the proposed regulations restrict access to the courts and prevent bona fide applicants from litigating and their cases. To be accepted by the government, please ensure your comments are filed on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 25, 2020. The critical point remains that you choose at least one element of the proposed rules that you believe is incompatible with our nation’s commitment to fair process to achieve justice and make your voice heard. Justice Ginsburg’s law review article, “In Pursuit of the Public Good: Access to Justice in the United States,” 7 Washington University Journal of Law & Policy 1, 8 (2001) can be found at: https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1534&context=law_journal_law_policy The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals case can be found at page 8 of Meza Morales v. Barr, 2020 WL 5268986, (7th Cir.). The TRAC Immigration report from Syracuse University on “The Life and Death of Administrative Closure” can be found at: https://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/623/ (September 10, 2020). Please share this podcast and links with members of your community or faith organizations, family members and friends. Encourage them to file comments to help ensure that our nation continues its commitment to a fair process and access to justice. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Discussing the Recent Matter of BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES Decision. Not legal advice. Consult with an attorney. Director, Defending Vulnerable Populations Program, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) Contact Michelle + Volunteer Opportunities: mmendez@cliniclegal.org Donate to Clinic: https://cliniclegal.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=4 Matter of BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES, 27 I&N Dec. 837 (DIR 2020)(1) https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1278601/download Matter of BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES INC., 28 I&N Dec. 16 (DIR 2020)(2) justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1291786/download

Under the current administration, U.S.-Mexico border polices have dominated headlines, becoming both the symbol and testing ground of hardline immigration policy. Family separation, the deaths of children in immigration custody, and the detention of men, women, and children in unsafe, overcrowded conditions have stirred national concern. The asylum system alone has been hamstrung by “metering” that slows entry to a trickle, enormous court backlogs, the wholesale return to Mexico of asylum applicants awaiting their court appearances, and policies that attempt to force applicants to first seek protection in other countries. This panel explores what these policies have meant to asylum seekers and the communities that straddle the 2,000-mile-long line. Topics include family separation, Remain in Mexico, the wall, state and local work, and more. The panelists also considered whether the administration is achieving results with its efforts to reshape overall enforcement, the responses from local border communities, and related litigation. Speakers include: Dylan Corbett, Founding Director, Hope Border Institute Sue Kenney-Pfalzer, Director Border and Asylum Network, HIAS Joel Rose, Correspondent, National Desk, National Public Radio Anna Gallagher, Executive Director, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

“To me, justice is when everybody has a fighting chance to have a fighting chance,” says Lindsay Toczylowski, cofounder and immigration attorney at Immigrant Defenders Law Center—and easily one of the most inspirational people we’ve ever met. Toczylowski represents the most marginalized children, mothers, and fathers who are being traumatized in the family separation crisis. She does it with grace. She reminds us of the humanity in this world, that we don’t need to look away, that there is something we can all do to help—and she moves us to change. After you hear her, you’ll want to learn about, donate to, or otherwise support an organization she mentions (in addition to her own): Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Al Otro Lado, Immigrant Families Together California, Border Angels, This Is About Humanity, ACLU. (And, be sure you’re registered to vote in the next election.)

Seth and JJ discuss the recent situation at the US-Mexico border. After discussing how asylum works, they go into the policy changes, which include prosecuting all crossers, separating all children, making asylees apply at a port of entry, and slowing down case management at ports. They look at relevant laws, 8 U.S. Code § 1325 , 1158, 1225, as well as the Flores agreement and question the legal basis of the Trump administration's position. JJ finishes by discussing the 2018 TIP Report's concerns about institutionalizing children and by explaining how U and T visas can assist victims of human trafficking who have crossed our borders. Sources: Unaccompanied Alien Children, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Asylum & the Rights of Refugees, International Justice Resource Center Undocumented Migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America, International Crisis Group Transnational Organized Crime in Central America and the Caribbean: A Threat Assessment, UNODC Can You Request Asylum at a U.S. Border or Entry Point?, AllLaw Requesting Asylum at U.S. Border? What to Expect at Credible Fear Interview, NOLO “Catch and release,” explained: the heart of Trump’s new border agenda, Vox What You Need to Know About Catch and Release, White House Yes, illegal aliens have constitutional rights, The Hill Immigrant Rights Groups Push Obama for Bolder Executive Action, The Nation Immigrant Rights Groups Will Start Protesting Obama Again, HuffPost What Obama did with migrant families vs. what Trump is doing, Vox The 1,500 “missing” migrant children: an immigration expert explains what you need to know, Vox The Trump administration’s separation of families at the border, explained, Vox Trump’s separation of families at the border: a visual explainer, Vox How Trump Came to Enforce a Practice of Separating Migrant Families, The New York Times DHS denies separating families seeking asylum, Axios 8 U.S. Code § 1325 - Improper entry by alien, Legal Information Institute Flores agreement: Trump’s executive order to end family separation might run afoul of a 1997 court ruling, Vox Flores v. Reno Settlement Agreement, Catholic Legal Immigration Network 8 U.S. Code § 1158 - Asylum, Legal Information Institute 8 U.S. Code § 1225 - Inspection by immigration officers; expedited removal of inadmissible arriving aliens; referral for hearing, Legal Information Institute Customs and Border Protection Is Breaking the Law by Refusing Entry to the Migrant Caravan Members, Immigration Impact (THREAD) Donald Trump and Secretary Nielsen are LYING about how our justice system works to justify tearing impoverished kids from their parents at the border., @SethAbramson on Twitter Exclusive: Trump administration plan would bar people who enter illegally from getting asylum, Vox Trump signs order stopping his policy of separating families at border, NBC News 500 migrant kids have been reunited with their parents. More than 1,000 are still caught in the system., Vox Kids in exchange for deportation: Detained migrants say they were told they could get kids back on way out of U.S., The Texas Tribune Trump will reunite separated families — but only if they agree to deportation, Vox A federal judge just ordered the Trump administration to speed up family reunifications, Vox Family detention is the new family separation, Vox's The Weeds on Art19 Judge rules that Trump administration has been wrongly detaining asylum seekers, USA Today Trump: Get illegal immigrants 'OUT' of America's 'front lawn', Fox News State Department decries institutionalization of children, The Washington Post Differences Between T and U Visas, NOLO Changes to U Visa processing in Fiscal Year 2017, Catholic Legal Immigration Network Photo: Wikipedia

Michelle Mendez is a senior attorney at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and manages the Defending Vulnerable Populations Project. In those roles, she trains lawyers across the country on how best to fight deportations and represents clients pro bono. Michelle’s work in the past has had a focus on providing legal assistance to detained mothers and children. Michelle is a lover of Baltimore, and she talked about the current climate around immigration, how her beliefs have evolved and her identity as an immigrant.

On February 25, 2016, the Rumi Forum hosted an Abrahamic Discussion Series panel on the issue of “Welcoming The Stranger: Refugees and Immigrants in Our Midst.” Naseem Rizvi, Dr. Patricia Maloof, Rabbi Gerry Serotta and Sandra Chisholm discussed the issue from the viewpoint of Abrahamic traditions. Naseem Rizvi has numerous years of experience in the field of International Affairs as well as in the non-profit sector. Rizvi obtained her master’s degree in International Affairs at the Quid- e- Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. She has worked as an adjunct instructor at the University of Loyola in Chicago where she taught several classes on U.S.-Afghanistan Foreign Policy as well as human rights and international affairs in Asia. She has also served as a panelist speaking about Islam and women issues. Rizvi then became a case manager and a program coordinator at the Council of Peoples Organization in Brooklyn, New York to assist diverse communities in health, employment, education, and legal issues. From 2008 to 2014, Naseem Rizvi worked at the Open Society Foundations and conducted extensive research and produced papers on international funding trends. Dr. Patricia Maloof is the Program Director of Migration and Refugee Services for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington (VA). She was formerly the Director of Development with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), the largest charitable immigration legal services network in the United States.   Dr. Maloof began her work with refugees in the 1980s. She advocates, publishes, and conducts research on barriers to health care access and the provision of services to refugees and immigrants. Dr. Maloof is trained as a medical interpreter and is a part-time faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the Catholic University of America. Three of her publications can be found on-line: Muslim Refugees in the United States; Mind/Body/Spirit: Toward a Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Model of Health; and A Review of the Literature — Mentoring: An Evidence-based Strategy to Increase Diversity Among Students and Faculty from Racial and Ethnic Groups Underrepresented in Maternal and Child Health Training Programs. She has a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology from the Catholic University of America and a B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology from George Washington University. Rabbi Gerald Serotta is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC) Prior to his position at the IFC he was the Founding Executive Director of Clergy Beyond Borders. Rabbi Serotta formerly served as a University Chaplain and Hillel Rabbi for 28 years, the last twenty years at The George Washington University, where he was Chair of the Board of Chaplains. He also served as President of the Association of Hillel and Jewish Campus Professionals. While on Sabbatical from Hillel, he held the position of Senior Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, working on issues of globalization and economic justice from a Jewish perspective. He also served Temple Shalom and Shirat HaNefesh Congregations in Chevy Chase, MD., as spiritual leader. Sandra Chisholm has been the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Liaison for over 15 years and directs the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Coordination Program within the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. During her time, she has increased the coordination between communities, non-profit organizations, and government organizations to help strengthen their service systems and structures. She was the recipient of the prestigious Onthank Award in 2010 to honor her outstanding work in advancing and improving public service. Chisholm has also been involved in creating several interfaith task forces to increase awareness for emergency preparation by providing training and engaging places of worship.

A deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court in June left in place the nationwide injunction barring implementation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and expansion of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which would have provided deportation relief for up to 4 million unauthorized immigrants. While the decision set no legal precedent, it has left the future of deferred action in the balance: Returning the case to the lower courts where a number of scenarios could play out based on how the Justice Department, the states that brought the challenge, and the presiding appellate and district judges respond. In this discussion, experts discuss what led to the outcome in the case and the choices that the next administration will face. Panelists discuss the legal challenge's effect on the DACA program and examine the implications for states and the advocacy community. Speakers include Cristina Jiménez, Co-Founder and Managing Director of United We Dream; Stephen H. Legomsky, John S. Lehmann University Professor Emeritus at Washington University School of Law and Former Chief Counsel at U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services; David Shahoulian, Deputy General Counsel at U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Rebecca Tallent, Head of U.S. Government Relations at Dropbox and former Policy Assistant to U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner; and moderator Muzaffar Chishti, Director of MPI's office in New York, based at NYU School of Law. The conference is organized annually by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

Immigration proved a central issue in the 2016 Republican primaries, helping eventual GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump emerge from a crowded field of 17 candidates and solidify his standing with a conservative base that is deeply skeptical about immigration. With the focus now turning to the general election, Republican Party leaders, strategists, and intellectuals from different vantage points—the #NeverTrump, #NeverHillary, pro-business, and libertarian wings of the party—are coming at the immigration debate differently, with differing interpretations of how pivotal immigration will prove to be in attracting or repelling voters and constituencies. This panel at the 13th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference delves into the range of views and approaches to immigration that are in play among Republicans and discuss their implications for the next Congress and the future of the party. Panelists discuss the on-the-ground strategy and lessons, their views on where immigration fits in today’s Republican Party, and how the election discourse on immigration is likely to affect the party going forward. Speakers include Alfonso Aguilar, President of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles; Linda Chavez, President of the Becoming American Institute; Daniel Garza, Executive Director of the LIBRE Initiative; Tamar Jacoby, President of ImmigrationWorks USA; and moderator Josh Gerstein, Senior Reporter, covering the courts, justice, and national security issues, at POLITICO‎. The conference is organized annually by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois discusses deferred action for unauthorized immigrants, the DREAM Act, refugee resettlement, and other issues facing U.S. policymakers on immigration in this keynote address opening the 2016 Immigration Law and Policy Conference, organized by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

Immigration enforcement, always a central component of immigration policy, has received particular focus throughout President Obama’s administration. Regardless of who wins the presidential election in November, enforcement will likely continue to play a large—and contested—role for the next four years. In this panel discussion at the 13th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference, speakers Elizabeth Cedillo-Pereira, Senior Advisor to the Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; Dree K. Collopy, Partner at Benach Collopy LLP and Co-Director, Immigration Litigation Clinic, Catholic University School of Law; Thomas D. Homan, Executive Associate Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; Stephen Manning, Partner at Immigrant Law Group PC and Director, Innovation Law Lab; and moderator Charles Wheeler, Director of Training and Legal Support, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, INC. examine three key aspects of current U.S. immigration enforcement: family detention and policies affecting unaccompanied children; the replacement of the Secure Communities federal-local immigration enforcement cooperation program with the Priority Enforcement Program (PEP) amid rising local resistance to cooperation with the federal government; and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidance on its use of prosecutorial discretion with regards to deportation decisions. Panelists evaluate the successes and failures of these policies, and consider what legislative and other change could happen in the upcoming year. The conference is organized annually by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas discusses refugee resettlement and other pressing immigration issues in this keynote address opening the 2016 Immigration Law and Policy Conference, organized by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

More than 65 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 21 million refugees who have crossed international borders in search of a safe haven. The United States long has accepted more refugees annually for resettlement than any other country, though the numbers represent a tiny portion of those awaiting resettlement around the globe. Yet that historical welcome is under challenge in ways not seen since the immediate aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris, more than half of the nation’s governors announced opposition to the further resettlement of refugees in their states. And there are calls in Congress for major changes to the resettlement program, which will admit 85,000 refugees this fiscal year, even as defenders note that those under consideration for resettlement undergo more stringent security screening than all other would-be immigrants and travelers to the United States. This panel at the 13th Annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference discusses the policy and legal concerns raised by state and federal lawmakers about the resettlement of refugees, examines how the federal government and its humanitarian partners have responded to these concerns, and addresses the implications of these challenges for the future of a program that has resettled more than 3 million refugees since 1975. Speakers include T. Alexander Aleinikoff, former United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees and Visiting Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; Kevin Fandl, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies at Fox School of Business, Temple University; Anna Greene, Policy and Advocacy Director for U.S. Programs at International Rescue Committee; and moderator Andrew I. Schoenholtz, Director of the Center for Applied Legal Studies and Human Rights Institute and Professor from Practice at Georgetown Law. The conference is organized annually by the Migration Policy Institute, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Georgetown University Law Center.

Europe and the United States are increasingly experiencing anti-immigrant backlash. Some candidates for the US presidency, for example, are campaigning on platforms that would include severe restrictions on immigration to the United States as well as a complete ban of Muslim immigrants. In the first of a two-part CMSOnAir series, “Shaping a Nation: The Past and Present Struggles Over Immigration," the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) speaks with Charles Wheeler, Director of Training and Legal Support at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) where he manages support and advocacy work on immigration law and related issues affecting immigrants. Prior to CLINIC, Mr. Wheeler directed the National Immigration Law Center for more than ten years and practiced and taught immigration law for two decades. He has served on the boards of the National Immigration Forum, American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and other leading organizations. He is also the author of the chapter, “The Evolution of the United States Immigration Laws,” in the 2014 book International Migration, US Immigration Law, and Civil Society: From the Pre-Colonial Era to the 113th Congress published by CMS and the Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN). In this podcast, Mr. Wheeler discusses how the anti-immigrant sentiments and rhetoric of today compare with past times in US history.

Know the Law:  Towards a just reform of US immigration law (Part 1);  María Odom of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Washington, D.C.; Music from RodolfoLópez, "Somos una Iglesia; " Padre Luis Valbuena on elections of Bishops in the early Church; Health:  importance of good posture; Contest Questions and a closing joke.

Maria Odom of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network discusses how they help unaccompanied minor refugees; CNS Spotlight: Dayton Human Trafficking Accords Conference; reflection on the Feast of the Holy Family from Fr. David Garcia Holy; Fact of Faith: determining when the new year begins; Catholic Extension "Hidden Hero" Sr. Francis Rose Rivers; Rome Report: Pope criticizes Italian Media; OFB DVD review: "Public Enemies."

Dr Gelasia Márquez on immigrant Hispanic families; Leya Speasmaker of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network; music from Marité Alfonso ("Qué Bien" ); Fr. Luis Valbuena on Godparents for First Communion; Health (Obesity and pancreatic cancer) and a musical meditation.