1303 San Jacinto St
Houston, TX 77002
USA
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, the Center for Migration Studies, the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative and the South Texas College of Law Houston are hosting the Mobilizing Coherent Community Responses to Changing Immigration Policies conference, June 7-9 at the South Texas College of Law Houston.
Join municipal leaders, scholars, researchers, community organizers, service providers, elected officials, leaders of faith communities, immigrant advocates, and others for a 3-day event on how diverse communities are working together to protect, empower and meet the needs of immigrants and refugees in an era of heightened uncertainty. The conference will examine “whole of community” responses to protecting and empowering immigrants and will offer models and best practices for moving forward amidst numerous challenges.
REGISTER HERE
Topics to be covered include:
- How diverse communities are pivoting from their pre-election work with immigrants to coherent, whole-community responses to changes in immigration and refugee policies.
- The US immigration enforcement system and its consequences for immigrant families and for communities, including a discussion of different aspects of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and recent Executive orders by the Trump administration.
- The use of scholarship and research to inform and strengthen whole of community responses.
- How communities can benefit from, prepare for, and contribute to federal litigation as one tool in helping to create secure, inclusive communities.
- Successful models and strategies for building welcoming and secure communities, with a focus on the engagement and mobilization of mainstream institutions that serve and benefit from immigrant communities, including business, labor, health care, schools, law enforcement, philanthropy, and faith communities.
- The role of municipal leaders in establishing welcoming, vibrant, and inclusive communities that protect and facilitate the participation of community members.
- Successful models of collaboration and winning partnerships in support of long-term reform of outdated US immigration laws.
- Legal screening and naturalization programs that can expedite legal status for qualifying persons under existing laws; i.e., without Congress, the Executive, or the courts.
- Addressing decreasing access to political asylum in the United States for adults and children.
The conference schedule also includes: optional daytime site visits and an opening evening reception on June 7th. The event is hosted by the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance of Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, and the South Texas College of Law Houston. The full agenda and list of speakers will soon be available here.