Convening Agenda
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
2:00 – 5:00 Convening Registration/Information
3:30 – 5:30 Opening Plenary Session
5:30 – 6:30 Welcome Reception
Thursday, May 19, 2011
7:00 – 7:30 Mass
7:00 – 5:00 Convening Registration/Information
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast
Workshop Key:
B Basic
A Advanced
G General Interest
PM Program Management
8:30 – 10:00 Workshops
B Was Your Client Really “Deported” Five Times at the Border? Determining Immigration Violations
Your client isn’t sure what happened at the border when she tried to enter several years ago and didn’t succeed. How do you determine what actually occurred at the border? Was there a removal order at all? If so, what kind? Was it expedited removal, section 240 removal or voluntary departure? The panelists will discuss strategies for determining what occurred including: what questions to ask clients, FOIA requests and obtaining FBI rap sheets. Samples of the various types of removal orders will be provided to guide the discussion. For information about the immigration consequences of what occurred at the border, we recommend you attend “Consequences of Immigration Violations at the Border” to be held on Friday from 8:30 – 10:00.
A Lawful Permanent Residence: Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing
Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing are two different pathways for seeking lawful permanent residence status. For a beneficiary abroad, does it ever make sense to explore whether there is a way to get the beneficiary to the U.S. first, and then adjust status? For beneficiaries in the U.S., when do they qualify for adjustment under INA 245(a) or 245(i) ? For beneficiaries not eligible to adjust in the U.S., will they be able to obtain an immigrant visa at a U.S. consulate abroad? In this interactive workshop, we will look at several possible client scenarios and examine the different eligibility and strategy issues related to adjustment of status and consular processing.
G How to Get the Most from Your CLINIC Membership/Subscribership
CLINIC provides a range of services to its members and subscribers. Learn more about these services and how best to access them. The workshop will include a demonstration of some of the significant features of CLINIC’s website including the tools available in the affiliates-only section of the website; information on how to make use of CLINIC’s advocacy services and how CLINIC can help your immigration program develop and improve through individualized support. This session is designed for CLINIC affiliates and those considering joining CLINIC.
G Immigration Enforcement in 2011: What It Means for Your Client
This workshop will discuss ICE partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies and the resulting arrest and detention of immigrants by state and local officers. The speakers will also present information how to navigate the state detention system and what to do when an ICE detainer keeps your client in state or local custody.
G Working with Foundations: Focusing on Measurable Outcomes
As more foundations move from being funders to investors, it is important that your organization and immigration program use an integrated, measurable outcomes-based model to plan and improve your measurable outcomes and to build a case for support. These measurable outcomes should demonstrate change in behavior or conditions for those served. We will discuss how measurable outcomes are different from outputs, what difference they make, how they can be conceptualized, and why they are important. This session will strengthen your knowledge and skills in focusing on key measurable outcomes that your organization tracks over time to demonstrate impact and uses for continuous improvement.
10:00 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Workshops
B Controlled Substances: Crimes and Health-Based Inadmissibility Consequences
Even if you are a new immigration practitioner, you probably know that your client's involvement with controlled substances may lead to immigration problems. If you are a more experienced practitioner, you already know that these immigration problems may include being subject to health-based and/or crime-based inadmissibility. In this workshop, we will review the inadmissibility grounds relating to controlled substance offenses and use of controlled substances, available waivers and overcoming health-based inadmissibility based on remission.
A Developments in VAWA Self Petitioning: Practitioner Perspectives
This session will provide a brief overview of the basic requirements of the VAWA self-petition and address recent developments in that process. The session will focus heavily on best practices and case experiences from seasoned VAWA practitioners.
G Multiple Revenue Streams: Show Me the Money!
Foundation giving remains a constant in non-profit programming, but there are other sources of funds to explore. This session will address best practices in fundraising through foundations, government contracts, individual giving, CFC/UW participation, direct mail and small donor events. Presenters will offer concrete examples of successful strategies and pitfalls to avoid, as well as resources on foundation and donor research, and engage in a dialogue about fundraising for capacity building, program support, sustainability and special initiatives. They also will share their expertise on resource allocation.
PM How to Establish and Develop a Successful ESL/Citizenship Education Program at Your Agency
Are you seeing an increasing need for quality ESL and citizenship test preparation classes in your community? Would you like to start a program at your agency but you’re not sure where to begin? This workshop will cover the fundamentals of starting a program, including program design, staffing and curriculum, based on CLINIC’s key components for program management and the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs.
12:00 – 1:30 Awards Luncheon
1:45 – 3:15 Workshops
B Basics of Adjustment of Status
This workshop focuses on the what, who, and how of adjustment of status for family-based immigrants. We will walk through eligibility for adjustment under INA Sections 245(a) and 245(i), analyzing step-by-step whether or not someone is eligible for adjustment. We will also cover the process for applying for adjustment—when to file, what to file, where to file and what happens after you file.
A Filing Effective Inadmissibility Waivers
This workshop will discuss the eligibility requirements for waiving the most common grounds of inadmissibility with a focus on proving “extreme hardship” to a qualifying relative. We will discuss strategies for interviewing clients on hardship factors, identifying and gathering documentation and preparing and presenting an effective waiver application.
G Advocacy Roundtable
An opportunity for participants to meet and strategize on advocacy issues of importance to them. Discussion will include CLINIC’s work on the national level, challenges that local service providers are experiencing in their work and ideas for moving ahead.
PM Selected Issues on Ethics and Case Management for Immigration Practitioners and Representatives
How do you maintain client confidentiality and provide diligent and competent representation to your clients? How do you address conflicts of interest and when are you allowed to withdraw representation? How do you identify if the individual has a meritorious claim before accepting them as a client and why is it important? This workshop will identify some ethical obligations you have to your client and how to maintain them through the design of an effective case management system.
SPECIAL EVENT: Film Screening
Welcome to Shelbyville
Description: Change has come to rural Tennessee. Set against the backdrop of a shaky economy, Welcome to Shelbyville takes an intimate look at a southern town as its residents - long time inhabitants and newcomers - grapple with their beliefs, their histories and their evolving ways of life. Join us for a screening and discussion of this film. Seating is limited. Please sign up to attend a screening on the bulletin board in the registration area.
**Additional screenings: Thursday, May 19th, 3:45 – 5:15 and Friday, May 20th, 10:30 – 12:00
3:45 – 5:15 Workshops
B Affidavit of Support
This workshop will provide detailed information on the affidavit of support requirements, including exercises on completing the form and measuring household size, income and assets. It will also cover the exceptions to the affidavit requirements and documenting eligibility.
A Motions to Suppress Evidence: Strategies for Removal Proceedings
This workshop will discuss the law, procedure and practical application of using motions to suppress evidence in removal proceedings. Although the exclusionary rule does not apply to immigration proceedings, constitutional and regulatory violations may be the basis of motion to suppress evidence in removal proceedings. The speakers will review the theory and practice of motions to suppress evidence.
G Engaging the Public and Press: Using Traditional and New Media Tools for Outreach
Building support in the public and with the media is a key step in a program’s outreach. This workshop offers an interactive discussion of the media tools available to develop core messaging and sharing this message with the public using traditional and new media, such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging. Presenters will offer practical strategies for responding to media requests, conducting interviews and developing a media plan.
PM Top 10 Issues Confronting Legal Immigration Program Managers and What to Do About Them
Are your challenges similar to those faced by other programs? Do you wonder what other program managers are doing right? Learn from other program managers and CLINIC’s Field Support Coordinators who work with them as part of CLINIC’s growing network of over 200 affiliates. Learn best practices to improve your program’s: case management system; fee revenue potential; evaluation efforts; marketing strategies; cultivation of new funding sources; and more.
Friday, May 20, 2011
7:00 – 7:30 Mass
7:00 – 3:00 Convening Registration/Information
7:30 – 8:30 Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 10:00 Workshops
B Consequences of Immigration Violations at the Border
You’ve investigated your client’s immigration history thoroughly and learned that he has entered the U.S. several times, including entering without inspection and entering with fraudulent documents. What does this mean for him? In this workshop we will examine the impact of various violations of immigration law, including the use of fraudulent documents, smuggling, accrual of unlawful presence, deportations and re-entry after deportation. We will cover the consequences of these violations, and provide a brief overview of the exceptions and waivers available for some of these violations. This workshop functions well as a continuation of the workshop entitled: “Was Your Client Really “Deported” Five Times at the Border? Determining Immigration Violations” held on Thursday from 8:30 – 10:00.
B Challenges in the Naturalization Application Process: Disability Waivers
This workshop will cover the civics and English language requirements and exemptions for naturalization and will focus on the process for seeking a waiver of these requirements due to a physical or developmental disability or a mental impairment. The session will discuss the most recent USCIS policy guidance on determining the sufficiency of the waiver and discuss the latest version of the N-648 form.
A Widows and Other Surviving Relatives: Visa Petitions That Survive the Death of the Petitioner
This workshop will discuss the law that permits specific relatives to complete immigrant visa processing following the death of the petitioner. The speakers will also address the CIS memorandum that details which relatives are covered by the law, how various visa categories are treated, whether beneficiaries outside the US are included and other relevant issues.
G Faith and Migration
Faith-based organizations have a unique perspective from which to advocate on immigration issues. This workshop provides an overview of Catholic social teaching on migrants and newcomers. It strategizes on the most effective messages for talking about immigration and identifying audiences. Advocates will also share best practices for engaging the public and the press in a discussion of immigration issues from a faith-based perspective.
10:00 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00 Workshops
B Family Reunification and Adjustment of Status of Asylees and Refugees
Asylees and refugees have their own specific rules for family reunification and adjustment of status. In this workshop, we will cover the I-730 process for asylees and refugees to petition for their spouses and unmarried minor children, as well as the more relaxed rules for asylee and refugee adjustment of status. We will cover both statutory and regulatory rules, as well as filing and adjudication procedures. We will also share best practices for guiding asylee and refugee clients through these processes.
B Immigrating Through Marriage: Fiancé(e)s and Conditional Residents
K-1s, K-2s, CR-1s, CR-2s—if you know the immigration codes, you know these represent fiancé(e)s and their derivatives, and conditional resident spouses and children. In this workshop, we'll be reviewing who qualifies to come to the U.S. as a fiancé(e), who qualifies to be a fiancé(e) petitioner, and what a person admitted as a fiancé(e) needs to do to become an LPR. We'll also discuss when marriage-based immigrants are classified as conditional residents and how and when to apply to remove the conditions on residency.
A Updates and Practice Tips on Seeking U Nonimmigrant Status
This workshop will explore the latest trends in adjudication of petitions for U nonimmigrant status and accompanying waivers. Experienced practitioners will share their tips on best practices in securing law enforcement certifications, documenting substantial physical or mental abuse, preparing waivers and petitioning for derivatives in the U.S. and abroad.
LOPC Partner Roundtable (by invitation only)
This roundtable session will provide an overview of the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians of Unaccompanied Alien Children (LOPC). The focus will be to understand the significant impact which educating custodians have on children’s attendance at removal hearings. The roundtable session will discuss topics such as: the importance of educating custodians, benefits of attending the LOPC, understanding the role of the stakeholders and explaining the process for referring custodians. The roundtable discussion will aim to provide legal service providers the tools necessary to educate custodians.
12:00 – 1:15 Luncheon
1:45 – 3:15 Workshops
B Sleepless in Seattle: Don’t Let Religious Immigration Issues Keep You Up at Night
Do dark clouds hover over your head when trying to figure out religious immigration? Have no fear! Gray skies will clear if you attend this workshop. CLINIC attorneys will provide an “umbrella” training on difficult issues often faced when navigating the treacherous storms of religious immigration law. The panel will discuss issues related to preparing organizations and religious workers for religious immigration petitions, applications and visa processing.
A Working with Children in Removal Proceedings
This panel will explore the aspects of removal proceedings when working with children clients. The focus will be to provide tools necessary to effectively advocate on behalf of children. The panel will cover topics such as: a general discussion on how to navigate through state proceedings, recruiting pro bono advocates for difficult cases, self-advocacy tips for children and their guardians, tools to teach the logistics of the removal process and learning to collaborate with social service providers. The aim of this panel is to help advocates overcome the inherent complexity involved in representing children.
A Motions Practice before USCIS and the Executive Office for Immigration Review
What are the deadlines and requirements for filing and pursuing a motion before CIS, the AAO, the Immigration Court and the BIA? This workshop will discuss the deadlines and requirements for filing a motion to reconsider and a motion to reopen, including in absentia motions to reopen, motions to reopen for ineffective assistance of counsel, motions to reopen for changed circumstances, and motions to reopen for failure to receive the BIA decision.
G Ask the Experts
Here’s your chance to get feedback on the case(s) that you didn’t leave back at the office—the ones that are keeping you up at night because you’re not sure what to do. If you have a complicated case that you’d like to review, write it up and put it in our “workshop questions” drop box at the registration desk. We’ll select as many questions as we can from those submitted for a discussion by workshop panelists. The last thirty minutes of the workshop will be reserved for questions from the floor.
3:15 – 3:45 Break
3:45 – 5:00 Workshops
B Focus on Crimes of Moral Turpitude
If you are not exactly sure about what a crime of moral turpitude is, you're not alone. This is an area of immigration law that is constantly developing based on new decisions from the Board of Immigration Appeals and the federal courts. In this workshop, we will examine the approaches the courts and the BIA have taken to analyzing whether an offense is a "CMT", when such offenses lead to inadmissibility and deportability, and available waivers.
A Updates on the Child Status Protection Act
In this workshop on the CSPA, we will cover preserving immediate relative, F-2A, and derivative status for children who turn 21. We will provide updated information on retaining priority dates for children who age out and the status of pending litigation. We will also cover the impact of the CSPA on VAWA applicants and refugee/asylee derivatives.
PM Improving Fee Revenue Potential for Program Sustainability
This panel features two outstanding immigration program managers sharing innovative and proven strategies for insuring that your program survives the economic downturn by stabilizing and improving your fee-for-service income. Catholic Charities of Santa Clara was able to reverse a decline in fee revenue in the heart of the recession by re-thinking and re-engineering their fee schedule and how they collect fees under the bold direction of Robert Yabes, BIA Fully Accredited Representative. Vanna Slaughter, BIA Fully Accredited Representative, has spent more than two decades innovating at Catholic Charities of Dallas and her work on fees is the most battle-tested in the business. You will leave this presentation with information that you can apply at your program to greatly increase fee revenue now. Fees are about the only thing you have some control over in these hard times.
SPECIAL EVENT: Film Screening
The Naturalized
Description: Weaving together the lives of different people from different countries who all share a quest for citizenship by choice, not birthright, this documentary travels from a citizenship class in San Jose to a naturalization ceremony in Iraq. Along the way, there's unprecedented access to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, revealing the complex process up-close, including a marriage interview and the one-on-one Citizenship Exam. How many amendments are in the Constitution? To become an American, not knowing is not an option. Contemporary stories of struggle and success are combined with insightful interviews from notable naturalized citizens like Fareed Zakaria, Alan Cumming, David Rakoff and Isabel Allende.
5:00 – 6:30 Closing Reception