As our country transitions to a new administration, immigration remains one of the most pressing issues to confront our nation. Many questions remain unanswered about the future of immigration law and policy in the United States. What priorities will the new Administration focus on and will changes be made through Executive Action or through Congress? During this program, a distinguished panel of experts will discuss what is known about the new Administration’s priorities and the likely impact on due process, the Immigration Court system, and the individuals whose lives could be irrevocably affected by these changes. The panel will discuss the exercise of discretion and the appropriate role of Executive Action and prosecutorial discretion; the status of the Immigration Court backlog and plans to hire additional Immigration Judges; a potential expansion of immigration detention and the resulting effect on access to counsel and detention conditions. The panel will invite a DACA recipient who will speak from personal experience about the impact of having been granted Deferred Action and temporary employment authorization and what it would mean to have it possibly revoked. This is a complimentary program. This is not a CLE program.

Speakers:

• Cheryl Little, Executive Director, Americans for Immigrant Justice (Moderator)
• Hon. Dana Leigh Marks, President, National Association of Immigration Judges
• Esther Olavarría, Former Senior Counselor to Secretary Jeh Johnson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Dora Schriro, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and Former Director of the Office of Detention Policy and Planning, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Monica Lazaro, DACA recipient