RMIAN Stands with AAPI Community Against Anti-Asian Hate

RMIAN condemns the murders in Atlanta last week as an act of white supremacy, misogyny, and gender-based violence. As an organization dedicated to justice for immigrants as justice for all, we stand with the Asian and Asian American Community. Women of Asian descent are not disposable. Soon C Park, Suncha Kim, Yong A Yue, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Elcias R Hernandez-Ortiz, and Paul Andre Michels, were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, and colleagues to many and their lives must be remembered.

The horrific violence in Atlanta was not an isolated incident. anti-Asian hate and xenophobia have historically fueled U.S. laws, policies, and rhetoric, including immigration laws. For example, the text and implementation of laws like the Page Act of 1875, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and the Cable Act of 1922 patently discriminated against people of Asian descent and Asian Americans. Our courts have repeatedly affirmed these and other discriminatory laws and policies. 

The historic pattern of discrimination against people of Asian descent and Asian Americans can be felt today in the sheer amount of hate crimes committed against this community. According to Stop AAPI Hate, 3,795 anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported since March 19, 2020. 

As Hiroshi Motomura, RMIAN co-founder and Board Member, and a law professor at UCLA School of Law, stated in a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives last week, "No hate crime is an isolated act. We need to take national responsibility for the role of law in what we are seeing today. By discriminating in ways that suggest some U.S. citizens don’t belong here, our immigration laws have laid the foundation for hate crimes. And as long as our laws continue to lay this foundation, our entire country will suffer, because the promise of a shared citizenship that can unite us all will remain unfulfilled."

RMIAN reaffirms its commitment to supporting all people of color, including immigrants; to making our immigration system more just and equitable, and to combating white supremacy in all its forms. 

We implore our colleagues, friends, and community members to take action to understand this discriminatory history and to stand up against this hate, including through the resources provided below:

• Sign on to the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJ) - Atlanta collective community statement;

• Donate to support the victims and their families;

• Sign up for a training with AAJ - Chicago to further understand the reality and history of anti-Asian violence and how you can help;

• Attend a bystander intervention training with Hollaback Bystander Training;

• Learn more about what is happening and the historical context, such as through the extensive research and reporting conducted by Stop AAPI Hate;

• Show up to the Stop AAPI Hate Colorado Community Rally

• Donate to the work of Asian and Asian-American led organizations on the front lines, including:

  • Hollaback Bystander Training

  • Asian Pacific Development Center

  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) — Atlanta

  • Red Canary Song

  • Survived & Punished

  • National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)

  • Stop AAPI Hate

Check out additional resources listed here.

In solidarity,

RMIAN Staff Members & Board of Directors

RMIAN Statement on Tragic Boulder Shooting

The tragic violence that took place in Boulder yesterday was devastating. Our hearts are shattered for the victims and their families and everyone in the community who this tragedy has touched. Many in the RMIAN family live in the Boulder area, and others have friends, families, and colleagues there. We are dismayed by this senseless hurt and loss of life.

Here is a list of mental health resources for those who may be in need:

TRACE Disaster Distress Helpline: http://bit.ly/3lMRe8e

Red Cross Coping Tips: http://bit.ly/3vQxW6h

Spanish Mental Health Resources: https://espanol.mentalhealth.gov/

American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/topics/mass-shooting

Client Spotlight: Sandra's Story

Sandra fled Guatemala alone at age 15 after she was abandoned by her father, neglected by her mother, and subjected to gang violence. After a long and dangerous journey, she eventually made it to safety with a family member in Colorado. RMIAN attorneys represented Sandra in her guardianship case, and obtained special juvenile status. RMIAN also represented Sandra before the Denver Immigration Court, where over seven years after her arrival to the US, her application for permanent residence was finally recently granted. As a new resident, and the single mother of a four-year-old US-citizen child with cognitive disabilities, she looks forward to becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), to help her child, and other intellectually disabled children.

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RMIAN Attorney Shaleen Morales Awarded Colorado Hispanic Bar Association Community Service Award

This month, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association honored RMIAN Detained Representation Attorney Fellow, Shaleen Morales, with its Community Service Award. The CHBA chose Shaleen because of her role on the RMIAN team piloting the state’s first universal representation program, for Denver residents detained in Aurora -- a model that hopefully will be replicated statewide. Shaleen was selected because she, "pours her heart and soul into her work and makes miracles happen – keeping families together and securing the safety of migrants fleeing for their lives. She is determined to offer exceptional legal representation and ensures not only that her clients feel seen but also creates space that allows them to lift their voices and be heard." Congratulations, Shaleen!

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RMIAN and Coalition of Medical Professionals Call for Vaccination of Individuals in Immigration Detention 

This month, RMIAN and the Colorado Medical Coalition for Human Rights sent a letter to Governor Jared Polis and Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, urging the state to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for individuals in immigration detention in Colorado. The letter cites the risks to the safety and wellbeing of detained people and the public health risks to the whole community. For eight months, there has been an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the Aurora facility, yet individuals confined there have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. RMIAN is proud to partner with so many concerned medical professionals across the state. Together, we will continue to fight for health justice for those in immigration detention.

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Immigrant Rights Bills Introduced at the Colorado General Assembly

The U Visa Certification Requirements Bill (HB21-1060) would create a statewide system for U Visa certification requests for victims of serious crimes in Colorado. If passed, the bill would enhance protections for immigrant crime victims in the state and increase access to immigration relief. On March 9, 2021, the bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Read more about the U Visa Bill here.

The Immigration Legal Defense Fund Bill (HB21-1194) would create a state-wide legal defense fund for indigent immigrants in removal proceedings in Colorado. The bill is a campaign of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, of which RMIAN is a member. If established, the Legal Defense Fund would fund free, public-defender style representation for immigrants in removal proceedings, prioritizing people in immigration detention and in rural, underserved parts of Colorado. Join the Legal Defense Fund campaign here.

Immigrant Rights Champions Introduce Bill to Create Statewide Universal Representation in Colorado

Upcoming legislation will create statewide fund to assure legal representation for immigrants facing removal proceedings

Denver, CO - On Thursday, March 4th 2021, Representative Kerry Tipper (D-Jefferson), Representative Naquetta Ricks (D-Arapahoe), and Senator Dominick Moreno (D-Adams) introduced legislation to ensure immigrants who are facing removal proceedings in civil court do not face the unjust immigration system without legal representation. HB 21-1194 addresses one of the most pressing civil rights issues in Colorado and our nation: the fact that immigration deportation proceedings are the only legal procedures in the nation where a person can be detained without the right to a government-funded lawyer, even if that person is a child or an asylum seeker.

RMIAN is a nonprofit organization that serves low-income men, women, and children in immigration proceedings. RMIAN promotes knowledge of legal rights, provides effective representation to ensure due process, works to improve detention conditions, and promotes a more humane immigration system, including alternatives to detention.

“Everyone should be able to have their day in court with proper representation. The legal system is hard to navigate. In order for it to truly administer justice, we have to ensure everyone has access to a lawyer if they cannot afford one,” said Representative Kerry Tipper.

Providing access to legal counsel for people who cannot afford a lawyer in removal proceedings can offset the harm of deportation and detention on Colorado families who lose a breadwinner, on children who face long-lasting emotional trauma, on employers who have to find new workers, and on local communities who lose a valued member.

“People facing deportation are our neighbors, friends and family members. When someone goes to immigration court, they face a daunting tangle of arcane laws and they are forced to do it alone” said Senator Dominick Moreno. “Immigrants don’t leave their human rights behind when they come to Colorado –– it’s past time for our government to uphold those rights by ensuring universal access to legal representation.”

Daniel Fesshaye, a Fort Morgan resident originally from Eritrea, explains, “Coming up with the money for a lawyer was difficult, but I knew I had no other choice if I wanted to win my case. I had to borrow $4,000 from a friend. As soon as I got out of immigration detention I had to focus on repaying him, instead of rebuilding my life.” 

“Universal representation is also critical to addressing anti-Blackness in immigration court and fighting back against the detention-to-deportation pipeline,” said Representative Naquetta Ricks. “The compounding forces of systemic racism, over-policing in Black communities, and entanglement between law enforcement and ICE have created an immigration system that detains, deports, and harms Black immigrants more than four times as frequently as non-Black immigrants. When our community members have legal representation in court they are ten times more likely to be granted the relief they qualify for.”

Legal representation is critical for families living in Colorado. 

“Both myself and my husband were thrown into deportation proceedings after a traffic stop. Over the past eight years, there were moments we had to decide between paying our lawyer or putting food on the table for our children. I can’t imagine confronting this process without legal representation,” said Guadalupe Lopez, an organizer with the American Friends Service Committee, and an immigrant from Mexico. “Now that we’re through the nightmare, I’m organizing my community in Fort Morgan. Many working families here don’t have much savings and couldn’t afford a lawyer no matter how hard they try. They are desperate because they know they have almost no chance at the relief we won, not because of the law, but because they can’t pay. Every single person should have the dignity of representation.”

"Universal representation could be life saving for immigrant families, who are experiencing disproportionate impacts of COVID; both in community and in detention centers,” said Raquel Lane-Arellano, Policy Manager at Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, “People in detention face loss of liberty and employment and lasting trauma from inhumane conditions. Access to counsel can mean all the difference. People who have a lawyer are 3.5 times more likely to be released on bond as the law allows, instead of languishing for months or even years in for-profit detention centers.”

"Universal Representation would benefit so many people in my close knit mountain community. There are so many people who have very few resources, like me. A pro bono attorney is so much help, so much," said Ismael of Mountain Dreamers, who asked not to use his last name for fear of immigration enforcement.  

HB 21-1194 would create a fund that allows for public and private contributions through gifts, grants and donations. The program would provide a free lawyer through non-profit legal service organizations to qualifying individuals facing deportation proceedings in a Colorado immigration court. 

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The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) is a statewide, membership-based coalition of immigrant, faith, labor, youth, community, business and ally organizations founded in 2002 to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees by making Colorado a more welcoming, immigrant-friendly state.

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization that provides critical immigration legal services to individuals in immigration detention, as well as to children and families throughout Colorado. Additional information on RMIAN is available here: www.rmian.org. Follow RMIAN on social media: the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network on Facebook, @RMIAN_org on Twitter.

RMIAN and Partners Send a Letter to President Biden to Urge Swift Action in Addressing Harmful Policies Affecting Asylum Seekers

On February 9, 2021, RMIAN, along with 94 other immigration, civil rights, and human rights organizations, sent a letter to President Biden urging swift action in addressing the harmful and illegal policies that block, punish, and deny relief to children, families, and adults seeking humanitarian protection in the United States.

RMIAN & Justice Campaign Attorneys Stopped Deportations of Cameroonian Asylum Seekers

Post by: Laura Lunn, Managing Attorney, Detention Program, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network and Karen Lucas, Immigration Justice Campaign Director

At 2 a.m. on January 29, two Cameroonian asylum seekers were told that they were being deported, taken from their rooms at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, and transferred to Louisiana.

The men are represented by RMIAN and Immigration Justice Campaign pro bono volunteers Jesse Witt and Henry Hollithron, and supported by Colleen Cowgill, RMIAN Detention Program Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney.

The team worked through the weekend to file emergency legal motions so that their clients – both of whom face severe torture in Cameroon based on their political beliefs – would not be sent back to danger.

President Biden has directed the Department of Homeland Security to completely review its enforcement and detention practices. These cases demonstrate exactly why that review is urgent and necessary.

These men suffer from health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Both have sponsors in the U.S. who stand ready to support their pursuits seeking safety outside of detention. They should never have been detained in the first place.

The welfare and safety of these men hang in the balance: Still detained. Still facing deportation. Still denied the health care they need to thrive.

Here is what you can do right now:

• Watch this webinar “From Africa to Asylum: Black Africans Confront the U.S. Asylum System” and share it using the sample tweets below.

A huge thank you to all of our volunteers. There’s much more work to do to turn the promise of a more humane and just immigration system into a reality. You are on the front lines of making that change happen.

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Sample tweets:

On Jan. 29, 2 Cameroonian asylum seekers were taken from their rooms at a Colorado #immigration detention center in the middle of the night and almost deported to near-certain death. Learn more about the challenges that African asylum seekers face: https://vimeo.com/463620778

Cameroonian #ImmigrationJustice Campaign and @RMIAN_org clients were almost deported to near-certain death on Jan. 29. We are calling on the Biden admin. to remember the challenges faced by African asylum seekers as they consider enforcement priorities: https://vimeo.com/463620778

RMIAN AND COALITION OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CALL FOR VACCINATION OF INDIVIDUALS IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION

RMIAN AND COALITION OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CALL FOR VACCINATION OF INDIVIDUALS IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION

RMIAN and medical professionals urge the State of Colorado to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals in immigration detention, citing the risks to the safety and wellbeing of detained people and the public health risks to the whole community.  

February 8, 2021

Westminster, Colorado —Today, the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) and the Colorado Medical Coalition for Human Rights sent a letter to Governor Jared Polis and Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, urging the state to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for individuals in immigration detention in Colorado. The letter can be found here.

As well as posing health risks to and loss of due process rights for detained immigrants, outbreaks of COVID-19 within congregate care settings create public health risks for the whole community as these settings become epicenters of transmission and disease. The letter states, “During a pandemic when the actions of a few can impact the wellbeing of so many, accountability for those who run detention facilities is paramount. The humanitarian crisis posed by the spread of COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities in Colorado has disastrous consequences for those detained in these facilities, as well as neighboring communities.”

The Aurora Contract Detention Facility holds persons in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is owned and operated by the corporation Geo Group, Inc. For eight months, since May 30, 2020, there has been an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the Aurora facility, where about one-third of dormitories are currently under quarantine. As of January 20, 2021, ICE reported 52 confirmed cases in detained people under isolation or monitoring and 181 cumulative cases. Immigrants in Colorado are also held at the Teller County Jail, in Divide, Colorado, and an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) facility for unaccompanied minor children in Westminster. Yet, individuals in these facilities have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Dr. Janine Young, Associate Professor, Department of General Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, urges the state to prioritize vaccine access for individuals in immigrant detention. She states, “On behalf of the Colorado Medical Coalition for Human Rights, we, as medical providers, have direct experience providing health care to individuals and communities that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are acutely aware of the health risks COVID-19 poses to individuals held in congregate settings, including in the Immigrant Detention Center in Aurora, Colorado, as well as at the Office of Refugee Resettlement unaccompanied minor shelter for children in Westminster.  It is of utmost importance that these individuals be prioritized to receive the COVID vaccination, given that many immigrants held at the Immigrant Detention Center have co-morbidities that increase their risk for medical complications from COVID-19 infection.  Furthermore, the quarantining and isolation of COVID-19 exposed, or infected unaccompanied children and adults already held in detention is a form of toxic stress, something that is known to be harmful to both short and long-term health, particularly in developing children.”

Immigrants in detention facilities with ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks are denied access to the immigration court and due process protections. Laura Lunn, Managing Attorney of the Detention Program at RMIAN, states, “Immigrants in deportation proceedings have constitutional protections, including the right to a full and fair hearing, to counsel at no cost to the government, and to present evidence in support of their cases. During the pandemic, people in detention are struggling to access these rights because of increased isolation and restricted movement. Moreover, when people should be focused on preparing for life-altering legal proceedings, their minds are consumed by worry of contracting the virus. Absent a policy of ending civil detention, we must ensure safety and access to justice for our neighbors in immigration detention, first by prioritizing equitable distribution of vaccines.”

People confined in immigration detention are at high risk for contracting COVID-19. One RMIAN client, who tested positive for COVID while detained, who prefers to remain anonymous, states, “The scariest part of being in a detention facility during the pandemic is having to live in a pod with all different people, including people coming in from the outside, and not knowing if they are infected or not.”

The Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is a nonprofit organization that provides critical immigration legal services to individuals in immigration detention, as well as to children and families throughout Colorado. Additional information on RMIAN is available at www.rmian.org. Follow RMIAN on social media: Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network on Facebook, @RMIAN_org on Twitter. Join RMIAN’s mailing list here to receive RMIAN news and event information.

The Colorado Medical Coalition for Human Rights is a newly-formed coalition of medical providers in Colorado who are dedicated to the promotion of health and well-being of immigrant children, families, and individuals.

Board Chair Transition: Celebrating Pat Medige and Welcoming Malcolm Evans

Jan. 2020 Newsletter: RMIAN 2020 Year in Review, Open Positions and More

Virtual CLE: The Immigration Enforcement and Detention Policy Landscape in Colorado

Colorado Lawyer Article: RMIAN Turns 20

CO Hispanic Bar Association CLE with RMIAN: COVID-19's Impact in 2020 and Beyond

City of Denver Approves $500,000 for the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund for FY 2021

This week, the city of Denver took bold action for immigrant communities and approved $500,000 for the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund—providing vital legal protections for Denver’s immigrant communities as they continue to face the radiating impacts of criminalization, deportation, & detention amid a pandemic.

We are grateful to our community partners and the Vera Institute of Justice who continue to fight tirelessly for #DueProcess4All in Denver and advance a roadmap for lasting federal change.

"When I ended up in immigration detention, I didn’t have a penny to do anything. I was going to face the judge myself without an attorney, and just be there at their mercy. That’s when RMIAN appeared. If it wasn’t for my attorney, then I would probably be deported by now. Instead, I was released on bond, and I am fighting my case to stay here with my six U.S. citizen children."

- RMIAN client represented through the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund

Film Screening and Panel Discussion Featuring RMIAN Attorney Javier Garcia

Hear RMIAN attorney Javier Garcia speak at the CBA event, "The Undocumented Lawyer: A Short Film Screening and Panel Discussion" on Nov. 18th at 5pm. We hope to see you there!

New Report "Medicine Beyond Borders" Provides Roadmap for Healthcare Providers to Assist Immigrants

A new report, Medicine Beyond Borders - A Call to Action: Providing Care via Forensic Examinations and Legal Referrals, published by Puja Shah, MPH; Janine Young, MD; Shale Wong, MD, MSPH of the Denver Health Human Rights Clinic and the UC Anschutz Farley Center for Health Policy, details how medical providers can assist immigrants through forensic evaluations and legal referrals. The report is a byproduct of a relationship with RMIAN and the Denver Health Human Rights Clinic to assist immigrants and asylum seekers throughout the state. See the Colorado-specific report here and the national report here.

RMIAN Optimistic for Change Following Presidential Election Results

RMIAN Stands with Immigrants, Optimistic for Change Following Presidential Election Results 

Justice for Immigrants Means Justice for All

Westminster, Colorado — Following the election of a new president, the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) is optimistic that our country will work towards its ideals as a nation of immigrants and progress towards providing dignity and respect for all human beings. We hope that the new administration will not only act swiftly to withdraw the harmful policies enacted in the last four years, but also to create a more just and humane immigration system.  

RMIAN Executive Director, Mekela Goehring, says, “The anti-immigrant policies of the last four years have been devastating to immigrant communities in Colorado and beyond, terrorizing families and children, incarcerating community members for civil violations, and stripping essential protections for asylum-seekers and other vulnerable individuals.  We hope this election means the United States can dismantle these harmful policies and work to live up to the ideals of equal justice for all.”

RMIAN Founding Board Member, Hiroshi Motomura, says: “We now have a historic opportunity. It starts by undoing the inhumane policies that this country has suffered over the past four years. But more importantly, this is a time for a new beginning, for respecting the basic humanity of immigrants, and for recognizing their many contributions to these United States. The path forward will not be easy, but it’s now time to walk it, a step at a time and with resolve, knowing that justice for immigrants is justice for all.”

RMIAN will always stand in solidarity with our clients, their families, and our impacted neighbors. RMIAN will provide zealous legal advocacy for our clients, promote knowledge of legal rights, work to improve detention conditions, and promote a humane immigration system. While we are hopeful for change, we will continue to collaborate with our partners across the nation to assure that our collective advocacy leads to an immigration system that reflects our values and promotes justice for all. We will monitor any changes the new administration implements to assure positive progress. Most importantly, RMIAN will continue to provide free legal services to people impacted by immigration enforcement and detention, and to children and families throughout Colorado.

If you are a RMIAN client or an affected community member, and you have questions about how the election impacts your immigration status, please call RMIAN’s office for a free consultation at (303) 433-2812. If you have a question relating to a person in immigration detention, you can call RMIAN’s detention hotline at (303) 866-9308. RMIAN’s list of resources for impacted people can be found here in English and here in Spanish.

RMIAN Stands with Immigrants as the Country Waits for Election Results

As the United States Waits for Election Results, RMIAN Stands with Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers Across Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Region, and the Country.

RMIAN stands resolutely with our clients and will continue to monitor any developments in the presidential election. If you are a RMIAN client or an affected community member, and you have questions about how the election impacts your status, please call RMIAN’s office for a free consultation at (303) 433-2812. If you have a question relating to a person in immigration detention, you can call RMIAN’s detention hotline at (303) 866-9308. RMIAN’s list of resources for impacted people can be found here in English and here in Spanish.

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Mientras Estados Unidos Aguarda los Resultados de la Elección Presidencial, RMIAN Apoya a los Inmigrantes, Refugiados, y Solicitantes de Asilo en Todo Colorado, la Región de las Montañas Rocosas, y el País. 

RMIAN apoya decididamente a nuestros clientes y continuará monitoreando cualquier desarrollo en la elección presidencial. Si usted es un cliente de RMIAN o un miembro de la comunidad afectada, y tiene preguntas sobre cómo la elección afecta su estado migratorio, llame a la oficina de RMIAN para una consulta gratuita al (303) 433-2812. Si tiene una pregunta relacionada con una persona en detención de inmigración, puede llamar a la línea directa de detención de RMIAN al (303) 866-9308. La lista de recursos para personas afectadas de RMIAN se puedeencontrar aquí en inglés y aquí en español.

"I Was Sure I Would Be Deported Until an Attorney Informed Me of My Rights"

Upcoming Webinar: “From the Ground Up: Advocating for Immigrant Clients"

Please join UCLA Law’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy and David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy for a special discussion, “From the Ground Up: Advocating for Immigrant Clients,” on Friday, Oct. 23, 12:15 to 1:30 pm Pacific.  Please RSVP here for the webinar details.  California MCLE credit available. Among the panelists for this discussion are RMIAN Founding Board Member, Hiroshi Motomura, and RMIAN Executive Director, Mekela Goehring.

Many law students and lawyers want to work with immigrants and on immigration issues, but in today’s climate of significant anti-immigrant hostility and policymaking, it is not always clear how to make the most meaningful impact for these communities.  Join a national panel of lawyers and advocates exploring how their work representing individual immigrant clients and advocating at local and regional levels protects and lifts up immigrants “from the ground up.”   

• Professor Hiroshi Motomura, Susan Westerberg Prager Distinguished Professor of Law and Inaugural Faculty Director, Center for Immigration Law and Policy, UCLA School of Law (moderator)  

• Gabriel Arellano, Director of Legal Representation, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project 

• Judith Clerjeune, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition  

• Mekela Goehring, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network  

• Lisa Weissman-Ward, Lecturer in Law and Supervising Attorney, Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic