Mobilizing Coherent Community Responses to Changing Immigration Policies | Legalizing the Undocumented Without Congress, The Executive, or Courts
July 25, 2017

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.
A growing body of evidence shows that a substantial percentage of the US unauthorized population may be eligible for an immigration benefit or relief, but does not know it or cannot afford to pursue it. In addition, more than eight million lawful permanent residents are potentially eligible to naturalize, which (in many cases) will expedite legal status for their family members. This panel discussed how communities can and should pursue a large-scale “legalization” program now, without Congress, the Executive or the courts as a centerpiece of their response to new immigration challenges.
Moderator: Jeanne Atkinson, Executive Director, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.
Matthew Burnett, Director, Immigration Advocates Network
Astrid Dominguez, Policy Strategist, American Civil Liberties Union Texas
Sara Feldman, Ready California Project Director, Immigrant Legal Resource Center
Brian Schaeffer, Senior Program Director, YMCA International Services