The Humanity of a Mother's Phone Call: Challenges in Family Reunification During an Era of Zero Tolerance
A Conversation with Laura Peña Visiting Attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project
Thursday, October 18, 2018
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Rome Building, Room 806
Nearly 200 children remain separated from their parents following government separation of migrant families. Despite a judicial injunction and executive order, family separations continue to happen on a smaller scale but still result in violations of the rights of aasylum-seeking families.
Laura Peña spoke about her work on crime and insecurity in Central America and provided an understanding of the immigration system based on her experience as an ICE trial attorney, and now as a legal advocate for nearly 400 hundred families who are victims of a government policy to separate families.
About the Speaker:
Laura Peña is an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project. She manages the family reunification efforts and fights against "zero tolerance" policies along the U.S.-Mexico border. Laura was previously appointed as a foreign policy advisor at the U.S. State Department under the Obama Administration and later served as an immigration trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Prior to joining the Texas-based organization, Laura worked in private practice managing corporate business immigration strategies for technology companies in Silicon Valley. As a native of the Rio Grande Valley, Laura joined the organization to help those most vulnerable migrant families and asylum seekers from being targeted by extreme law enforcement policies. Laura is an alumna of Georgetown Law evening program and Wellesley College.