Message From the Chair
I recently attended the Dallas Bar Association Immigration Section’s inaugural Immigration Excellence Awards honoring outstanding achievements of Dallas-area immigration attorneys. It was a well-attended and seamlessly executed event, spearheaded by Angela Lopez and the Dallas Bar Association’s Immigration Section, which is comprised of both private practice attorneys and government lawyers. Sitting in the audience, listening to the speakers, and honoring local attorneys as they were celebrated for their achievements, I was reminded again why I love what I do and how grateful I am to be chairing the State Bar’s Immigration & Nationality Law Section this year.
One of the most unique things about the practice of Immigration Law and our niche is that we are all on the same team, working together as comrades rather than rivals. That has been the case as long as I have been practicing in Immigration Law and it is one of the most amazing attributes of the Immigration Bar.
Immigration has always been a hot topic, but over the course of the last two years agency policy and interpretation has changed so rapidly that it makes my head spin! Without any substantive change in law, there have been significant shifts in policy that have resulted in the same effect. Every day there is something new. Every day there is a new battle to fight. And to be clear, I mean a battle that we are fighting for our clients. Immigration is a humanitarian issue; it’s an economic issue; it’s a business issue. And, immigration attorneys use their licenses like shields to protect their clients from the harshness of policy that has no heart or interpretation that fails to consider the practical and over burdensome implications on business, investment, and our local communities and economies.
On the front lines, children continue to be separated from their families; prolonged detention is a serious concern; legal immigration has become so burdensome that employers are hesitant to proceed with sponsorship on behalf of their employees and, in many cases, are working on ways to move those critical jobs overseas. Families are concerned about whether they will be able to remain together, and they are establishing contingency plans to address who will care for their children if they are detained or removed without notice; employees – legal or not – are fearful of worksite enforcement actions and the potential for workplace discrimination based on their national origin; processing times at the agency have significantly degraded; the court dockets are overfilling at the brim; transparency and consistency in adjudications has also seemed to be set aside as a priority. I could go on, but we have work to do.
While times certainly feel tough, I have never been more inspired. Everywhere I turn, I see a colleague striving to do right by their clients, putting their hearts and bodies and practices on the line to take a stand for what is just. They are adapting at warp speed to the changing environment, developing creative and successful legal strategies to meet their clients’ goals, whether its family unity or business development and investment, and they are helping to shape our rapidly shifting landscape. I salute you! And, I am inspired. Truly.
This year, look for some changes to our section to help arm you with the tools, resources, and information you need in your practice. There will be some welcome changes to our website to make it a more robust resource. We will keep you updated on the latest trends and news regarding Immigration Law. And, we will let you know about opportunities to volunteer, take pro bono cases, or collaborate with other State Bar Sections to make your efforts more impactful. And, for those new to Immigration or see the intersection of Immigration in your own area of expertise and feel called to help, we welcome you!
I challenge everyone to feed that fire in your hearts and keep up the good fight as we embark on unsettling times regarding the future of Immigration. There is much to be done. And, as we lament the challenges that we face, let’s not forget to celebrate the victories: the countless hours that advocates are giving to help educate others on their rights and eligibility for immigration benefits; the children who have been reunited with their parents; the asylum seeker who was successful in court; the employer who was able to transfer its talent to help innovate the latest technologies; the entrepreneur who was able to invest and infuse life and funds into a U.S. community and local economy. Congratulations on a job well done and cheers to the waves we will make this year!
Lisa Sotelo, Chair
Immigration & Nationality Law Section
State Bar of Texas
Below is an update from the Edna Yang, our Section’s VP of Non-Profit Immigration Services, regarding ways you can volunteer, pro bono projects you can take on, or employment opportunities at organizations that make an impact on our communities and for the families they represent.
- American Gateways offers a number of volunteer opportunities and ways to get involved in the work that they do –
- Credible Fear Interview Preparation for Detained Women at Hutto: Attorneys volunteer to travel to the T. Don Hutto Detention Center meet with the women detained there who are in the process of seeking asylum. Training and materials are all provided online, with a step-by-step video and guide for how to provide representation and preparation in these cases. Interpretation assistance is also provided by American Gateways.
- Pro Bono representation in affirmative and defensive asylum cases: Attorneys can volunteer to represent an asylum seeker in their asylum claims before the Houston Asylum Office or before the Immigration Court. Training, support, and materials are all provided along with a mentor attorney.
- American Gateways has other volunteer opportunities, including appellate support and outreach to the community.
For information on how to sign up to volunteer with American Gateways, please visit their website.
- Houston Legal Service Collaborative has a number of ongoing opportunities for attorneys to get involved, including: Know Your Rights Presentations, Citizenship clinics, Pro Bono Asylum representation with one of their member non-profits, Pro Bono representation for Unaccompanied minors. For more information on how to get involved please visit their website.
- RAICES has volunteer opportunities at the Karnes Family Detention Center helping and representing the families detained there in preparing for their Credible Fear Interviews, as well as a number of other opportunities. For more information on how to get involved please visit their website.
- The Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (in Dallas) is always looking individuals to get involved in their work. Opportunities include pro bono representation and other non-legal work designed to aid immigrants in need in North Texas. For information on how to get involved, please visit their website.
- ProBar – South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project has a number of volunteer opportunities that are both long and short term, including:
Long-term attorney volunteers stay in South Texas for a period of two weeks, a month, or longer, and handle a number of cases in immigration court. Living and travel stipends may be available to qualified persons; short-term attorney volunteers are assigned one or more asylum cases in advance and travel to South Texas to represent detained asylum seekers at their immigration court hearings; volunteer attorneys outside of South Texas represent on appeal applicants denied asylum in the immigration courts, or assist persons applying for asylum in their own communities; and experienced immigration attorneys present training seminars and serve as attorney mentors to ProBAR volunteers. More information on all of these opportunities can be found on their website.
Upcoming Clinics: There are upcoming clinics in central Texas for those interested in helping DACA recipients and individuals seeking to naturalize and become US citizens (flyers attached) –
Attorneys needed to help families impacted by the North Texas Raid
RAICES, joined by community partners, recently held emergency mobile clinics in response to the raid near Paris, Texas. The clinic was able to provide legal consultations to nearly 150 people. At this time, they are urgently seeking the assistance of pro bono immigration attorneys who are willing to represent these individuals in removal proceedings.
The most urgent asks for attorneys are:
1) To represent individuals pro-bono just at bond hearings happening in Dallas Immigration Court
2) For attorneys/law firms who can do pro-bono or low-bono full case representation
Please complete the legal sign-up form if you are able to assist.
The Dilley Pro Bono Project is hiring. It is looking for an attorney with about 3 years of experience with detained representation to lead the legal work on the ground. This is an excellent opportunity for a lawyer to do great work at what has become ground zero for battling enforcement policies that separate families, harm children, and deny due process. If you or anyone else has questions about this position, please don’t hesitate to email Karen Lucas, Immigration Justice Campaign Director, AILA/Council, 202.507.7645 (direct), Dilley Pro Bono Project Position Description.
