Deportations of immigrants and refugees spiked dramatically after 1996 when Congress passed the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). These laws severely restricted the ability of an immigration judge to consider the individual circumstances of a person before ordering deportation, and greatly expanded the range of criminal convictions that result in mandatory deportation without judicial review. Even lawful permanent residents who have lived in the country for decades, came to the country as children, have advanced degrees or small businesses, or were adopted but didn’t naturalize can be deported automatically and permanently because of these laws.

For twenty years, immigrant and refugee families have lived under the legacy of the 1996 laws. The speakers on our panel will describe their experiences fighting their own deportation orders and talk about potential policy change that honors family unity and due process.

Closing Remarks @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Representative Alan Lowenthal @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Representative  Raul Grijalva @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Donald Anthonyson @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Alejandra Pablos @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Linda Khoy @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Lundy Khoy @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

Quyen Dinh @ Automatic Injustice Briefing in DC

The Immigrant Defense Project works to secure fairness and justice for immigrants in the United States.

We aim to abolish a racially biased criminal legal system that violates basic human rights and an immigration system that every year tears hundreds of thousands of immigrants with convictions from their homes, their families, and their communities.

We fight to end the current era of unprecedented mass deportation via interconnected strategies that attack the two systems at multiple points — strengthening immigrant defense through training and expert advice; challenging unfair laws through impact litigation; shaping just policies through advocacy; and empowering communities and advocates through alliance building and education, and changing negative perceptions about immigrants through communications and messaging.

We help lay the groundwork for a day when the criminal and immigration laws of the United States respect and uphold the human rights of everyone, fulfilling the values of equality, justice, and fairness for all.