This fall semester (2024), the Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic provided comprehensive immigration legal services to community members. From pro bono direct representation to assisting pro se litigants with cases before the Santa Ana Immigration Court, the Clinic empowered students to advocate for clients zealously and compassionately. Students practiced and sharpened essential lawyering skills, including interviewing and counseling detained clients, fact investigation, legal research and writing, courtroom advocacy, appellate work, and teamwork. Below are a few highlights from the student’s work on behalf of their clients and advocacy projects.
Casework Highlights
- Representation: Advocated for detained clients before the Adelanto Immigration Court.
- Appellate Advocacy: Successfully filed an appeal with the Board of Immigration
Appeals on behalf of a detained client. - Motion Success: Filed two motions to terminate on behalf of a detained client in
Immigration Court. - Advocacy for Release: Successfully advocated for a client’s release from immigration
detention. - Post-Conviction Relief: Achieved relief in criminal court, enabling a client’s
immigration case termination. - Youth Advocacy: Secured a motion to terminate for a teenage client now pursuing
lawful immigration status outside the courts.
Advocacy Projects
- Pro se clinics. Partnered with community organizations and legal service providers to
host a pro se asylum clinic for Orange County residents. Thank you to LGBTQ Center
OC, Public Law Center, Orange County Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs,
WSCL SBA and Outlaw, Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, for your partnership on
these efforts. - Know your rights. In partnership with Orale and as part of the Resource Fair hosted by
the Office of LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Catalina Island Health, and the City of
Avalon, students led a “Know Your Rights” session for the immigrant community in
Avalon.
Student Recognition
First-Time Students: Ana Morel, Michael Mahfoud, Madison Leonhardt, Fabiola "Astrid"
Cardona, Brian Galea, Anya Lind, Jaylan Pope, Vivian Slu, Joyce Kim and, Giselle
Preciado.
Advanced Students: Kholood Alshami, Russell Theodore and Elizabeth Tran.
Clinic Faculty and Supervisors
Clinic Director and Professor, Sabrina Rivera, and Professors Demis Camacho (’19)
and Jonathan Breman.
Questions? Email Prof. Rivera at srivera@wsulaw.edu.