Cardozo School of Law today announced the launch of its Center for Immigration Innovation, which will house the law school’s immigration issue-related initiatives, including the newly formed National Immigration Habeas Institute (NIHI) as well as its renowned Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic.   

NIHI – a joint venture between Cardozo’s Immigration Justice Clinic and the National Immigration Litigation Alliance (NILA) – will address an emerging critical gap in the capacity of immigration legal service providers to challenge the detention or deportation of noncitizens. Many immigration lawyers only practice in immigration courts. However, because of recent changes in law and policy, filing a habeas petition in federal court is now often the only way to protect immigrants.     

“In federal habeas proceedings, the substantive law and procedural norms are vastly different than in immigration court, and it is now essential that immigration attorneys be trained to handle matters in both immigration and federal courts,” said Peter Markowitz, Co-Director of the Immigration Justice Clinic and the Center for Immigration Innovation. “NIHI will be centered around an intensive training program where participants will learn how to litigate federal habeas petitions from some of the nation’s top litigators and scholars. Participation will be free of charge and participants will receive valuable continuing legal education credits in return for an agreement to accept pro bono habeas referrals.”    

The first NIHI training will take place on October 16 and 17 at Cardozo. Interested immigration attorneys can apply to take part in the training here. Completed applications are due by September 19.    

“Both the development of the center and NIHI enable us to offer more robust services, and help to catalyze innovative, community-centric solutions,” said Lindsay Nash, Co-Director of the Immigration Justice Clinic and the Center for Immigration Innovation. “We’re proud of Cardozo’s longstanding leadership in advancing immigration justice, particularly in New York City, and remain deeply committed to continuing this critical work and training the next generation of immigration attorneys and scholars.”    

“We’re thrilled to launch the National Immigration Habeas Institute at a time when the need for strong habeas training is more crucial than ever,” said Trina Realmuto, Executive Director of NILA. “As detention practices become more complex and the administration’s enforcement policies grow harsher, attorneys must turn to the federal courts to advocate for their clients and to challenge these draconian policies. This initiative will empower the removal defense bar with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate these challenges.” 

The establishment of the Center for Immigration Innovation will build on Cardozo’s existing efforts in providing legal support to the immigrant community, developing new ideas in response to pressing problems, and generating cutting-edge scholarship and analysis.     

Historically, this work has been conducted through the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at Cardozo. The Immigration Justice Clinic works with community-based and national advocacy organizations to improve immigration law and policy and to advance the quality of justice afforded to immigrants. The clinic has worked on a wide variety of legal and policy issues, including providing access to counsel for immigrants, developing the first detainer discretion law in New York City, among additional critical work. Learn more about the work of the clinic here.    

The third component of the Center for Immigration Innovation is the Immigration Research Institute, which will include:  

• Cardozo Immigration Enforcement Workshop: An annual scholarship workshop that brings leading scholars in the immigration arena together to share new research and responses to important issues impacting the field. The next scholarly convening will take place on October 10 at Cardozo.
• Speaker Series: The institute regularly invites leading scholars, advocates, and people with expertise through lived experience in the immigration regime to campus to discuss timely topics impacting immigration law and policy.   

• Service-Learning Trips: Students have the opportunity to travel to different areas of the country and beyond, including to both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, to learn from individuals who have been impacted by the immigration system and provide much-needed legal services in underserved areas.      

   

  About the Center for Immigration Innovation at Cardozo Law  

  The Center for Immigration Innovation is the central hub for all immigration-related activities at Cardozo. The center houses Cardozo’s Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic, the National Immigration Habeas Institute (NIHI), and the Immigration Research Institute.     

   

  About the National Immigration Habeas Institute (NIHI)  

  The National Immigration Habeas Institute was founded in partnership by the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at Cardozo Law and the National Immigration Litigation Alliance. The NIHI is an effort to address an emerging critical gap in the capacity of immigration legal service providers to file and litigate federal habeas petitions on behalf of noncitizens targeted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.   

   

  About the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic at Cardozo Law  

  Since its inception, the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic has made national headlines for its advocacy work in immigration reform. The clinic responds to the vital need today for quality legal representation for indigent immigrations facing deportation, while also providing students with invaluable hands-on lawyering experience. It represents immigrants facing deportation and represents immigrant community-based organizations on litigation and advocacy projects.