The Immigration & Refugee Clinic has a lengthy history of advocating for asylum for survivors of gender-based violence. The clinic’s work for more than 40 years has shaped the jurisprudence that attorneys around the country rely on. To qualify for protection, asylum seekers need to show they have a real fear of being harmed because…
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It’s been a while since we’ve focused on alumni pursuits, so we’re excited to highlight a few Program graduates who are working in immigration law or related fields. Shuting Chen ’09 A graduate of the clinic in 2009, Shuting Chen was appointed as an Immigration Judge for the San Francisco Immigration Court in October…
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In February 2024, the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program partnered with community advocates to hold its first-ever pro se asylum clinic for members of the Guinean community. As the political situation has deteriorated in Guinea, many have fled, arriving at the U.S. border seeking refuge. Bella Balde, the daughter of a former client of…
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We are thrilled to share more about two of our more recent new hires, Eleni Bakst and Michelle Schellinger Gutierrez. Read more about Eleni and Michelle below! Eleni Bakst is our newest Clinical Instructor at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program. She supervises and trains students in the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic and…
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The Biden administration’s new rule, which took effect yesterday and has already been challenged in court, will unjustly prevent refugees from accessing protection at the southern border in violation of domestic and international law. The inhumane and unlawful rule will lead to the return of vulnerable refugees, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other survivors of…
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Advocates from the Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN), Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLSMA), Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, MIRA Coalition, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, and other organizations have filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, asking Attorney General Andrea Campbell to open an investigation…
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Join us in welcoming back Andrew Leon Hanna (HLS alum, Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, Stanford Knight-Hennessy Scholar) for a special lunchtime book talk. A Financial Times Best Book of the Year, 25 Million Sparks: The Untold Story of Refugee Entrepreneurs (Cambridge University Press) tells the story of three Syrian women entrepreneurs in the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan, and of the broader global…
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The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program (HIRCP) strongly opposes the Biden administration’s proposed rule announced February 21, 2023, which will impose a sweeping new ban on asylum for many people seeking protection at the U.S. southern border. This rule violates U.S. laws and treaty obligations by returning asylum seekers to persecution or torture. Furthermore,…
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2023 Summer HIRCP Internship Program The Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program at Harvard Law School (“HIRCP”) is now accepting applications for its 2023 Summer Internship Program. HIRCP, in partnership with Greater Boston Legal Services, is one of the oldest immigrants’ rights clinical programs in the country. HIRCP represents clients seeking immigration protection in…
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