LCR’s Legal Warriors at Lav Law

Lawyers for Civil Rights at the 2023 Lavender Law Conference 

LCR’s legal warriors and our community partners presented on a wide range of cutting-edge civil rights and intersectional issues at the Lavender Law Conference hosted by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association in Chicago on July 24 – 26, 2023. 

The Battle to Protect Asylum: State and Federal Attacks on Asylum Seekers and the Fight to Protect LGBTQ and HIV-positive Asylum Seekers’ Rights

This panel will follow the challenges that asylum seekers face at every stage of the immigration experience and adjudication process, and will discuss cutting-edge legal, policy, and community efforts to fight for the rights of LGBTQ and HIV-positive asylum seekers. Even though Biden did wind down Trump’s efforts to expel migrants under the pretenses of public health (Title 42), he has adopted similarly draconian and unlawful border policies that make access to the United States and asylum nearly impossible. On a parallel track, immigrants are vulnerable to volatile state action, including being dropped off unannounced to Martha’s Vineyard via charter planes dispatched by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The harm inflicted by this toxic mix disproportionately affects asylum seekers in the LGBTQ/HIV community. Even those who are not detained face significant backlogs in the immigration courts and asylum offices. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court just heard the first case involving a transgender asylum seeker in the court’s history. The case addressed limits on judicial review that would have converted the process of appealing the denial of asylum into a trap for the unwary. Hear from attorneys representing immigrants in the current climate about how the rapidly changing landscape affects the LGBTQ/HIV community. We will also discuss the important role played by private counsel in pro bono cases. The panel will focus on ongoing advocacy and litigation at the state and federal level, including a class-action filed on behalf of migrants who were tricked into going to Martha’s Vineyard.

Moderator:

Mirian Albert (Lawyers for Civil Rights)

Panelists:

Amitesh Parikh (Immigration Equality)
Michael Jarecki (Jarecki Law Group)
Myraida Melendez (Lawyers for Civil Rights)
Tania Linares Garcia (National Immigrant Justice Center)

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Lawyering En Español

All Spanish-speaking attorneys and attorneys serving Spanish-speaking clients are welcome for this collaborative session.

Speakers:
Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal (Moderator) (Lawyers for Civil Rights)