National Immigrant Justice Center

Huge congratulations to Jay Reidy of AT&T for this well-deserved accomplishment! Jay has been an invaluable partner in engaging NIJC's pro bono community and working with many clients over the years of their cases.

NEW report details egregious due process and human rights violations along with inconsistent and confusing application of the new legal requirements for migrants after President Biden's SECOND asylum ban took effect. More than 30 people impacted by the ban shared their stories with legal services providers and border organizations--all encountering insurmountable due process violations when seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Read their stories in the full report: https://lnkd.in/gHJYcYzA

Earlier this month, NIJC along with five pro bono law firms and 25 volunteer interpreters provided limited scope representation to asylum seekers who have recently arrived to Chicago from the U.S.-Mexico border. Thank you to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates; Chapman and Cutler LLP; Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP; Reed Smith LLP; and the legal department at United Airlines for your continued support to increase access to justice for immigrants. This workshop demonstrates the need for representation for viable asylum claims and the power of Chicago’s pro bono community. Cheer on our pro bono partners for coming together to help our new community members! 💪🏡

Calling all aspiring human rights lawyers! NIJC invites rising third-year law students and recent graduates to become a part of our team as legal fellows. Submit applications by August 5, 2024, to start an impactful journey in Fall 2025. Apply now and get an opportunity to address key immigration rights issues and join us in our pursuit of justice. (Or share this opportunity with someone you think would be interested!) Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g5e6X7EC

Great News: Students Kathleen Ryan and Nicole Theriot, participating in NIJC's Externship at Notre Dame Law School, successfully represented their client in her asylum proceedings! 😊 Congratulations to this courageous mother who now, along with her children, has asylum protection! Send them your well wishes in the comments below. 💖

Last week NIJC proudly joined U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver in introducing the Chance to Come Home Resolution, co-sponsored by Rep. Cleaver with Reps. Adriano Espaillat and David Trone and Senator Cory Booker. This crucial moment demonstrates strong support for creating a central and fair process for reviewing petitions of people who were unjustly deported from the United States. “As it currently stands, due to the lack of a centralized review unit at DHS, there is no meaningful process for unjustly deported individuals to be reunited with their families and the communities they know and love. These are folks who resided in the country for decades, started their small businesses, and contributed to their local economies—and they deserve due process and a fair chance to come home,” said Rep. Cleaver. “I am committed to strengthening America’s immigration system in a fair and humane way, which is why I’m proud to introduce this bicameral resolution that would reunite hardworking families while boosting our local economies and upholding our values as Americans.” 🔗 Read Congressman Cleaver's full press release about the resolution here - and thank him for fighting on the right side of history: https://lnkd.in/gxTQzqEF

Our country needs a sensible and fair process to bring back people who've been unjustly deported. The newly introduced Chance to Come Home congressional resolution brings us closer to this goal. "We are calling for a mechanism to reunite families," U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver told Newsweek. "I don't want to pretend that it will be easy, because I think many Americans have been poisoned by the language that is used when the subject of immigration arises." This resolution is an important milestone in the Chance to Come Home campaign, through which NIJC in partnership with deported advocates and other partners have sought to raise awareness of our country's unforgiving deportation system. The U.S. immigration system regularly tears people from their communities and families from their loved ones and breadwinners, often through unfair and racist tactics. "These are folks who were deported in exceptionally unjust ways," said NIJC Policy Director Nayna Gupta. "[Others] were targeted for exercising their First Amendment rights and speaking out against abuse in immigration detention facilities ... These are people who have strong reasons to present a case for return, but under the current system are unable to meaningfully do so." Read the full piece in Newsweek: https://lnkd.in/gqqNMPwC Learn more about our Chance to Come Home campaign and support the new resolution here: https://lnkd.in/gm_9g4cj

Yesterday NIJC was proud to join U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver to introduce a Chance to Come Home Resolution. The resolution is co-sponsored by Rep. Cleaver along with Reps. Adriano Espaillat and David Trone and Senator Cory Booker. This is a vital show of support for creating a central and fair process for reviewing petitions of people who were unjustly deported from the United States. “We're trying to reunite, with this legislation, families that have been devastated by our unfair and unjust deportation system that we have in our country,” Rep. Cleaver said during a virtual briefing introducing the resolution. “It is unfathomable to think that somebody would actually come to the conclusion that it is alright to [separate families]. It is wrong and the legislation that we have put forth — we think that if we're able to get this to the president's desk that he will sign it. And, it would also allow the Department of Homeland Security to help us reunite many people in this country with loved ones.” “As threats of mass deportations make national headlines, this Chance to Come Home congressional resolution reminds us that deportation of people with years of life in the U.S. imposes irreparable damage to children, separates families and loved ones, and undermines the prosperity of U.S. communities,” said NIJC Director of Policy Nayna Gupta. “This would be a small, but powerful step toward bringing basic fairness to the immigration system and repairing the damage deportation has already inflicted on far too many U.S. families across the country.” Read NIJC's full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gyNErXxU Read the official statement by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver here: https://lnkd.in/gxTQzqEF

NIJC, Human Rights First, and Immigration Equality recently published a report on the experiences of 41 LGBTQ migrants who have been detained by ICE and CBP. Their stories highlight the human rights violations happening in detention centers. "LGBTQ people frequently come to the United States fleeing severe violence and danger. Instead of providing refuge and safety, the United States subjects them to conditions in immigration detention facilities that aggravate their past trauma, neglect their medical needs, and expose them to discrimination and violence," said NIJC's Policy Director Nayna Gupta.

Tune in for an informative virtual briefing on the Chance to Come Home congressional resolution TOMORROW, July 10, at 3:30 pm ET! Hear from policy experts, congressional sponsors, and people impacted by deportation and learn more about the resolution, our policy proposal, and ongoing efforts to reunite families through the Chance to Come Home campaign. 🏠✨ Register here: https://lnkd.in/gaewsjh6