| | | | 22nd ANNUAL IMMIGRATION LAW
AND POLICY CONFERENCE October 9, 2025
Hybrid (in-person and virtual)
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| | This year's Immigration Law and Policy Conference, organized by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., Migration Policy Institute, and the Georgetown University Law Center, will be on Thursday, Oct. 9. The in-person conference will be held at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, and livestreamed for virtual attendees. The conference will feature thoughtful policy and legal analysis and discussion of some of the most important immigration issues that have surfaced in the U.S. policy debate, bringing together leading experts, policymakers, attorneys, advocates, and more. | | | |
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| This year's sessions include: | | | State of Play: Mass Deportation Campaign Hits the U.S. Economy, Communities, and Public Opinion Moderator: Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow and Director, U.S. Immigration Policy Program, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) President Donald Trump largely won and is staking his presidency on the promise of fundamentally reshaping immigration. Having secured tens of billions of dollars from Congress to fund mass deportations, the Trump administration is extending its nationwide immigration crackdowns well beyond a focus on deporting criminal aliens, with the effects being felt in U.S. communities, on college campuses, at courthouses, in workplaces, and elsewhere. Alongside, there are signs that public opinion is shifting and is turning against the deportations-above-all strategy that has led to the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, further militarization of the border, and creation of a vast new detention and enforcement apparatus. Amid profound policy changes and whole-of-government actions across the immigration system, including to legal immigration channels that bring in workers and international students, what are the likely near- and longer-term effects for the U.S. economy and its competitiveness? How does the current era of high enforcement compare to prior periods in U.S. history in which policymakers and publics turned against immigrants — and what steps then led to a return to the historic belief that immigration is a key touchstone in the nation's story, future, and identity? And is the shift in public opinion likely to prove meaningful? | | | |
| | Expanding Access: Scaling Immigration Legal Services for Communities and the Nation Moderator: Anna Gallagher, Executive Director, Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) Access to immigration legal services is critical — not only for the individuals who rely on them to navigate complex systems, but also for the health of communities and the strength of the country as a whole. Yet current statistics show that far too many immigrants remain without the legal support they need, leaving communities and families vulnerable. This panel will explain why full access is critical given the set of actions taken by this administration, which include ending prosecutorial discretion, maximizing the use of expedited removal, arresting immigrants at immigration court hearings, the return of family detention and family separation, leaving unaccompanied minors without access to legal counsel, and terminating Department of Justice (DOJ) legal orientation programs. Panelists will explore the impact of full access to immigration legal services, examining what it would mean for beneficiaries, local communities, and our country. Experts will discuss the workforce development and infrastructure needed to scale such legal services, as well as innovative approaches to delivering services that expand reach and efficiency. |
| | A New Era: Immigration Enforcement Above All Else Moderator: Muzaffar Chishti, Senior Fellow, MPI The Trump administration has deployed an unprecedented, whole-of-government campaign in pursuit of its mass deportations agenda. Beyond tapping Congress for an unparalleled level of federal spending on immigration enforcement, the administration has reached deep into myriad government agencies to redeploy civilian and military manpower, connect databases, recruit state and local law enforcement, and move to cut off access to safety net services and benefits to identify removable noncitizens for arrest or encourage them to "self-deport." Over several months, the country has witnessed: - Intense, sweeping enforcement operations by ICE and other DHS, State, and Justice Department personnel, as well as enhanced vetting of already present and prospective legal immigrants
- Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill, with a record $170 billion for immigration enforcement, and the increased cooperation of state and local law enforcement through 287(g) agreements and other arrangements
- The identification of removable noncitizens through unprecedented sifting of IRS, Social Security, Medicaid, and other records
- The first-ever deployment since the Jim Crow era of the National Guard over a governor's objections, as well as unprecedented use of the military for immigration enforcement.
- The methodical creation of a climate of fear through messaging, recruitment of third countries as destinations for deportees, harsh detention conditions in places such as Alligator Alcatraz, and efforts to cut off access to public benefits for immigrants, including lawfully present ones, and in some cases their U.S.-born family members.
Amid this flood of developments to immigration enforcement practices and policies, as well as broader government engagement with immigrants, this panel will seek to identify the most significant and long-lasting actions and the deeper trendlines. |
| | Do the Courts Matter? The Trump Administration Tests the Limits of Immigration Law Moderator: Andrew I. Schoenholtz, Professor from Practice and Faculty Director, Human Rights Institute and Center for Applied Legal Studies, Georgetown Law On day one of his second term, President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to overturn a Supreme Court precedent established in 1898 granting automatic birthright citizenship to virtually every baby born on U.S. soil. Two months later, he invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to quickly deport some 250 men, mostly Venezuelans, to a high-security prison in El Salvador. In June, the president sent Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over roving patrols stopping and detaining people on the basis of race alone. These and many other major policies unveiled during the administration's first several months were swiftly challenged in court, some finding their way almost immediately to the Supreme Court while others grind their way through the system. Panelists will discuss how federal judges have responded to these extraordinary attempts to expand the power of the executive branch over immigration and citizenship law, and to limit due process and access to courts. |
| | More information on speakers to follow soon. Register now for in-person attendance as tickets go fast!
Complimentary registration is offered to accredited journalists. Media seeking registration should contact Jeremy Weitz at [email protected].
If you are a Georgetown student wishing to register, please email [email protected]. Limited in-person complimentary registration is available to Georgetown students using their student email and a valid student ID. Complimentary registration does not include lunch. Email [email protected] with any questions. |
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| Migration Policy Institute
1275 K St. NW
Suite 800
Washington, District of Columbia
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