News

A (Quieter) Ban on Immigrants: The Executive Order You Did Not Read About

Throughout this past week, President Trump's January 27th Executive Order barring entry to non-citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations has been making headlines.

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‘We’re the good guys’: Lawyers continue airport campouts amid Trump travel ban

A February 3, 2017 Washington Post article covers the work CAIR Coalition has been doing on the ground at Dulles International Airport in the wake of the president's recent executive orders.

 The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, which has its own immigration lawyers staffing another table at the airport about 12 hours a day, estimates that more than 100 lawyers and interpreters have volunteered there since Saturday.

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Immigration Courts Announces Fast Tracking of Cases of Most Vulnerable Children

As has been reported widely in recent months, the U.S.’s immigration courts are overloaded with cases, with roughly half a million cases of removal (a.k.a. deportation) proceedings pending nationwide.

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An Immigration Lawyer Explains How To Help Victims Of The Muslim Ban

In an interview published on February 2, 2017 with Deadspin, CAIR Coalition's Nithya Nathan-Pineau explains what indivivduals can do to help those who have been affected by the president's recent executive orders on immigration. Click here to read the interview.

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Donald Trump has built a wall. It’s in Washington Dulles International Airport.

A February 2, 2017 article in Vox profiles the work CAIR Coalition has been doing on the ground at Dulles International Airport in the wake of the president's recent executive orders.

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teleSUR TV Interviews CAIR Coalition Staff at Dulles

January 31, 2017 CAIR Coalition staff attorney Azadeh Erfani was interviewed by teleSUR TV regarding the president's recent executive orders. Click here to watch the interview.

 

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Statement about Internal DHS Memo Stopping Adjudicating of Applications for Immigrants from Banned Countries

Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition is deeply concerned about the internal memo issued over the weekend by the Department of H

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Hundreds of lawyers descend on airports to offer free help after Trump’s executive order

CAIR Coalition's Pro Bono Director, Michael Lukens, was quoted in a Washington Post article:

“Things at Dulles are worse than we expected,” wrote Michael Lukens, pro bono director of the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.

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Customs And Border Officials Defy Court Order On Lawful Residents

In an article posted on January 29, 2017, Claudia Cubas, Senior Program Director of CAIR Coalition's Detained Adult Program, is quoted by the Huffington Post:

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Statement on Immigration Ban

This week, our country took the unprecedented step to begin banning refugees and visa holders from entering the country from seven Muslim nations. This break from the long tradition of freedom and safe haven in the United States is now playing out at airports around the country.

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Torture is not an American Value

This past week has brought many unhappy moments in how the American government plans to treat immigrants, including refugees from war-torn corners of the world.  One of the unhappier moments was the debate about the efficacy and morality of American-sponsored torture.

While there are many politicians and government officials who reacted with vocal disgust at the thought of torture as an accepted practice, that the debate even still exists is both frightening and inapposite to all that CAIR Coalition works towards.

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Frightening Draft Executive Order Targets Refugees Worldwide and Muslim Immigrants

Today a frightening new draft Executive Order from the Trump administration was leaked to the public. The proposed order is an assault on immigrants and refugees worldwide, but particularly targets people of the Muslim faith.  CAIR Coalition is alarmed by this proposed assault on immigrant and human rights.Today a frightening new draft Executive Order from the Trump administration was leaked to the public. The proposed order is an assault on immigrants and refugees worldwide, but particularly targets people of the Muslim faith.  CAIR Coalition is alarmed by this proposed assault on immigrant and human rights.

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Pro Bono Victory at the Fourth Circuit!

Immigrants residing in Virginia received a big win today from the Fourth Circuit in the case of Sotnikau v. Lynch.  Argued and won by pro bono attorneys from O'Melveny & Myers, the impact of this case will be felt far and wide.  The case started with a CAIR Coalition client  placed with a pro bono team at O'Melveny & Myers, who argued that a conviction under Virginia law for involuntary manslaughter can not lead to deportation because the state law is overbroad and divisible.  
 
Thanks to the excellent arguments put forward by Jason Zarrow, the lead O'Melveny attorney, the Fourth Circuit agreed and issued a precedential opion that will have a huge impact on immigrants facing removal from criminal convictions.  

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Fear and Uncertainty Is Rising, But We Are Here To Help!

CAIR Coalition recognizes the concerns many schools, such as Prince George’s County Public Schools, face in regards to the rising fear of immigrants due to the incoming administration's immigration policies. News reports have stated that the attendance rates of Latino students is dropping and could further drop because of the concern over the possibility of student deportations.

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Inauguration In the Land of Immigrants

Today is Inauguration day in the United States and the country is preparing for the start of a new administration. President Trump, in seeking the country’s highest office, has often spoken of massive shifts in immigration law and how immigrants are treated in the United States. His rhetoric has filled hearts with fear – fear of families torn apart by deportation; fear of deportation forces hunting immigrants in all corners of our country; fear of the young recipients that trusted in the government and applied for DACA being targeted.

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On the Eve of the Inauguration, President-Elect Urged to Continue DACA

CAIR Coalition joins nearly 900 religious, civil rights, ethnic and immigrant rights organizations who work on behalf of immigrants and their families in urging President-elect Trump to protect the more than 740,000 individuals who currently hold Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA.

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Defenders of Dignity: A New Logo for a New Program

In October, CAIR Coalition launched the Defenders of Dignity to recognize supporters of our mission and work. This network of major donors stands with CAIR Coalition to fight for the legal rights, dignity, and safety of all immigrants detained by the government in the Capital region. To celebrate the launch of Defenders of Dignity and display our pleasure in being connected to our supporters, we are proud to present the following logo: 

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CAIR Coalition Applauds Creation of DC Immigrant Defense Fund

On Monday, January 9, The District of Columbia joined Los Angles, Chicago and New York City in marrying its public declaration of Sanctuary for undocumented immigrants with a commitment to financing a legal defense fund for those most at risk of detention and deportation. According to an article in Monday's Washington Post, the funding from DC will be available to local non-profit organizations through a competitive bidding process and can be used to provide legal assistance to immigrants who are currently undocumented as well as those who are legal permanent residents interested in applying for citizenship. CAIR Coalition is thrilled to see the District take this important step in affirming its commitment to safeguarding all of its residents. Click here to read more about Mayor's announcement

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DMV Immigration Alliance Launched To Help Area Immigrants

In an effort to weave as strong a safety net as possible around the immigrants in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia in the wake of threats by the incoming administration to deport millions of immigrants, CAIR Coalition has partnered with over a dozen local service providers, law firms, and law schools to launch the DMV Immigration Alliance. 

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Noviembre de Niños - Thank you at the End of a Great Month

Thank you to everyone who made Noviembre de Niños a huge success.  This was the first time CAIR Coalition has set aside a month to focus on the specific issues facing immigrant children.  We will surely do it every year from here on.  The outpouring of support was a warm and welcome reminder that even in troubling times the children we serve will always have friends and advocates ready to jump at the chance to help. 

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