Naturalization ceremonies, the rare court event where everyone can walk out a winner, are a time-worn tradition of our system older than most of the courthouses where they may occur. This past spring, as part of an internship with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (DOJ Civil Rights), I had the opportunity to play a small role assisting two ceremonies and I would like to take this chance now, with social distancing all but quashing normal gatherings, to reflect on this incredibly public feature of an immigrant’s journey.

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By Pamela Duran Uncertainty and fear are two feelings that are prevalent in the immigrant community.[1]  President Donald J. Trump’s administration has emphasized that one of its primary objectives is to reduce illegal immigration, which has consequently brought increasing changes (1) to policy and more notably (2) in how agencies enforce said policies.[2]  These polices have a…

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By Nicole Gregory By Nicole Gregory On December 25, 2018, an eight-year-old boy from Guatemala, Felipe Gómez Alonzo, died in U.S. custody while being detained at the southwest U.S. border.[1] Alonzo’s death follows the death of another Guatemalan child, seven-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin, who was also in custody of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection…

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By Kelly Harmon Over the week of October 29, 2018, President Donald Trump insisted that he was going to find a way to end birthright citizenship, likely in an attempt to incite his supporters prior to the midterm elections on November 6.[1] In addition to an HBO interview on the topic, President Trump wrote on…

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By Sarah Vogt In the shadows of the recent announcement that roughly 6,000 federal prisoners were to be released between Friday, October 30, and Tuesday, November 3,[1] the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued its decision in Rodriguez v. Robbins[2] two days prior. Rodriquez, on appeal before the court for the third time,…

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