Today, the political world turns to Washington, D.C., where Donald Trump assumes the seat of power. Over the last ten weeks, communities throughout the United States have started to see the effects of his virulent campaign manifested in acts of physical and psychological violence. Migrants--who spent the last eight years living under the most heavy-handed immigration policing apparatus in modern history--have been preparing for Trump's inauguration since then. As I watch events unfold, the need to resist Trump's demonization of migrants while simultaneously assisting the next generation of [...]

Next week, President Obama vacates the White House. He takes with him eight years of accomplishments on a wide range of fronts. Throughout his two terms, I have devoted considerable energy to criticizing his shortcomings and, when appropriate, noting the ways in which he has improved migrants’ lives. As Donald Trump takes command of the Executive Branch, the long process of reviewing President Obama’s crimmigration legacy begins. President Obama presided over the most consistently heavy-handed immigration policing practices in the nation’s history. Under his watch, ICE detained hundreds of [...]

As a newly-minted lawyer several years ago, many of my first clients were Jamaican citizens who had spent many years in the United States, usually as lawful permanent residents. Caught up in heavy-handed policing of illicit drugs, they were caught along the Northeast and transported to remote immigration prisons in South Texas. That's where I met them. I have learned a lot since then, but the experience of representing clients locked up for nothing more than potentially violating immigration law has stayed with me. This week is the perfect opportunity to give thanks for the great privilege [...]