This roundtable discusses immigration-focused strategies and resources for lawyers to help Haitians in the midst of political instability after the death of President Jovenel Moïse and in the aftermath of the August 15, 2021 earthquake. These destabilizing events will be contextualized in light of past U.S. immigration policy after the 2010 earthquake and recent efforts to halt Temporary Protected Status for Haitian migrants. The goal is to gather ABA members and interested advocates to come together from across the country to understand how resources can be mobilized for policy efforts and individual representation to facilitate unprecedented access to the U.S. immigration system for Haitians during this time of crisis.
September 14, 2021 RAPID RESPONSE
Mobilizing Legal Resources for Haitians in a Time of Crisis: How the Legal Community Can Respond
Welcome and Introduction
- Judy Perry Martinez, Former President, American Bar Association; Of Counsel, Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn
Panelists
Krystina François, Executive Director, Office of New Americans of Miami Dade
Guerline M. Jozef, President, Haitian Bridge Alliance
Nicole M. Phillips, Legal Director, Haitian Bridge Alliance
- Adonia Simpson, Director of Policy and Pro Bono, ABA Commission on Immigration
Moderator
- Aderson B. François, Anne Fleming Research Professor and Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center; Director, Institute for Public Representation Civil Rights Law Clinic, Georgetown University Law Center
Joint Sponsor: ABA Commission on Immigration
Resources
Volunteer Opportunity: The Office of New Americans of Miami-Dade is hosting three monthly online clinics to help Haitian immigrants complete applications for Temporary Protected Status. They are seeking volunteer lawyers, paralegals, law students, and translators. These clinics are presented in partnership with Catholic Legal Services, the Americans for Immigrant Justice, the American Immigration Lawyers Association- South Florida Chapter, HIAS, FAMN, Sant La, ABA Commission on Immigration, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
The Invisible Wall: Title 42 and its Impact on Haitian Migrants by Haitian Bridge Alliance and the Quixote Center (Mar. 2021) Immigration and Blackness: What’s Race Got to Do With It?
Karla McKanders, Immigration and Racial Justice: Enforcing the Borders of Blackness, Georgia State University Law Review
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