Mobilizing Coherent Community Responses to Changing Immigration Policies | Promoting Access to Asylum in the Face of Detention, Expedited Removal and Other Barriers

July 14, 2017

From June 7-9, 2017, scholars, researchers, community organizers, service providers, elected officials, leaders of faith communities, immigrant advocates, and others, joined together for a 3-day conference on how diverse communities are working together to protect, empower and meet the needs of immigrants and refugees in an era of heightened uncertainty. The conference examined “whole of community” responses to protecting and empowering immigrants and offered models and best practices for moving forward amidst numerous challenges.

The event was hosted by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance of Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, and the South Texas College of Law Houston.

The expansion of detention, border enforcement, expedited removal, and other practices seek to prevent, deter and interfere with the right of migrants to seek political asylum. These practices exacerbate challenges related to a shortage of legal representation for asylum seekers. This panel addressed efforts to promote and expand access to the US political asylum system in the face of these challenges. It also discussed challenges to the US refugee resettlement program in Texas.

Moderator: Anne Chandler, Executive Director, Tahirih Justice Center Houston

Manoj Govindaiah, Director of Family Detention Services, RAICES

Clara Long, Researcher, US Programs, Human Rights Watch

Nicole Ramos, Project Director, Border Rights Project of Al Otro Lado

Steven H. Shulman, Partner, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP

More information at https://cmsny.org/event/2017-due-process-conference/