National Immigrant Justice Center

The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) is a center affiliated with the Heartland Alliance in the United States that "is dedicated to ensuring human rights protections and access to justice for all immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers."[1] Its executive director is Mary Meg McCarthy[2][3] and it is headquartered in Chicago.[1]

Programs

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NIJC has a number of programs dedicated to helping immigrants and affording them legal representation and protection:[4]

  • Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan Program for Protection of Asylum Seekers: This is a network of approximately 1000 pro bono lawyers who seek to defend asylum rights.[5]
  • Defenders Initiative: This initiative seeks to provide information to defenders in criminal cases at the federal, state, and local level so that they can provide better advice to their clients on the potential immigration consequences of being convicted of crimes.[6]
  • Gender Justice Initiative: This upholds the rights of immigrant women, and helps those who are victims of domestic violence and crime.[7]
  • Detention, Democracy and Due Process Project: This aims to uphold the due process rights of immigrants held in detention or subject to deportation.[8]
  • Immigrant Children's Protection Project: This aims to protect the rights of detained and non-detained immigrant children who may be subject to deportation.[9]
  • Immigrant Legal Defense Project: This offers free and low-cost legal representation and related services to immigrant families in need.[10]
  • Counter-Trafficking Project: Provides comprehensive legal services and case management for children and adult survivors of human trafficking.[11]
  • LGBT Immigrant Rights Initiative: Defends equal protections for LGBT immigrants.[12]

External coverage

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Media coverage

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NIJC's work has been cited in articles about immigration, immigrant detention, and refugees in the New York Times[13][14][15] the Wall Street Journal,[16] The Guardian,[17] and numerous other publications.[18][19][20] Letters from the editor by NIJC's executive director have been published by the NYT[3][21] and WSJ.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About NIJC". National Immigrant Justice Center. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  2. ^ "NIJC Staff". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Mary Meg McCarthy (May 4, 2011). "Lawyers for Immigrants". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  4. ^ "Programs". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  5. ^ "Jeanne and Joseph Sullivan Project for Protection of Asylum Seekers". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  6. ^ "Defenders Initiative". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  7. ^ "Gender Justice Initiative". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  8. ^ "Detention, Democracy & Due Process Project". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  9. ^ "Immigrant Children's Protection Project". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "Immigrant Legal Defense Project". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  11. ^ "Counter-Trafficking Project". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  12. ^ "LGBT Immigrant Rights Initiative". National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  13. ^ The Editorial Board (June 16, 2014). "Innocents at the Border: Immigrant Children Need Safety, Shelter and Lawyers". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  14. ^ Preston, Julia (June 11, 2014). "Aid Groups Allege Abuses of Young Border Crossers". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  15. ^ Bernstein, Nina (June 24, 2010). "Sick Detained Immigrant to Appeal to U.N. for Help". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  16. ^ Bravin, Jess (May 4, 2012). "Correct the Record, Rights Groups Say After DoJ Admits Mistake". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  17. ^ McVeigh, Karen (June 11, 2014). "Immigration groups allege abuse of migrant minors by US border patrol. Alliance of immigration and civil rights organisations file complaint claiming 'widespread and systematic' abuse of unaccompanied migrant children in border agency control". The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  18. ^ Goad, Benjamin (July 24, 2014). "Groups cite 'horrific' conditions at immigrant detention center". The Hill. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  19. ^ Skiba, Katherine (July 11, 2014). "Rep. Gutierrez responds to Sen. Kirk's remarks on immigrant children". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  20. ^ Altman, Alex (August 4, 2014). "This Baptist Charity Is Being Paid Hundreds of Millions to Shelter Child Migrants". Time. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  21. ^ Mary Meg McCarthy (January 28, 2009). "The Failures of Our Immigration Detention System". New York Times (published February 5, 2009). Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  22. ^ Mary Meg McCarthy (February 9, 2014). "Showing Compassion To Young Immigrants. Rep. Jason Chaffetz is misguided in his claims that the rise in child migration to the U.S. results from a blanket desire for amnesty". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 8, 2014.

Further reading

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  • Ackerman, Alissa R; Furman, Rich (2013). "The criminalization of immigration and the privatization of the immigration detention: Implications for justice". Contemporary Justice Review. 16 (2): 251–63. doi:10.1080/10282580.2013.798506. OCLC 6895684928.
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