We’re seeing unprecedented attacks on our immigrant neighbors and those seeking safety in the United States, including children. As our country grapples with the legacy of systemic racism alongside a global pandemic that disproportionately affects people of color, we must remain committed to…
Last month, the Trump administration exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to accomplish its longstanding goal: eliminate decades of protections for asylum seekers, torture survivors, and unaccompanied children under U.S. and international law. Despite numerous assaults on humanitarian protections, the…
On April 16, 2020, two NIJC clients spoke about their experiences in ICE detention during the COVID-19 pandemic at a Congressional briefing. Both men had been recently released from detention at different detention facilities in the Midwest, and although their stays differed in duration and…
NIJC and nearly 200 organizations nationwide urge U.S. Congressional leadership to support the Federal Immigrant and Release for Safety and Security (FIRST) Act, co-sponsored by Representative Jayapal and Senator Booker. Despite the urgent call by public health experts amidst the outbreak of COVID-…
Frequently Asked Questions
On March 20, 2020, the Trump administration took the unprecedented step of sealing the U.S. border under the guise of curbing the COVID-19 pandemic. This sweeping executive action has raised many questions related to the intersection between public health and immigration…
My name is Dorien Ediger-Seto and I am a Senior Attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center, based in San Diego.
I speak on behalf of a group of non-profit legal service providers and civil rights organizations who work with people in federal immigration and criminal custody in the San Diego…
COVID-19 targets its victims regardless of race, class, or national origin. But structural inequities in our nation’s history, laws and policies do discriminate, and today these inequities mean the coronavirus disease is causing its greatest harm among our most marginalized communities.
The…
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) provides legal services to individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody throughout the United States. Our Adult Detention Project provides direct legal representation and know-your-rights programming to immigrants in detention at…
On Tuesday, February 24, the Maryland House of Delegate’s Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a piece of proposed legislation, the Dignity Not Detention Act, that would ban immigration detention in the state. NIJC’s senior policy analyst, Jesse Franzblau, has been supporting efforts opposing…
Decriminalizing migration has become a hotly debated issue. Immigrant communities and advocates continue to document harms associated with immigration-related prosecutions, and members of Congress have introduced legislation to repeal federal laws that make it a crime to enter the U.S. without…