State & Local

Our program is actively engaged in projects both in the City of Cambridge and across the state of Massachusetts. We advocate for policies that uplift and empower immigrant communities and regularly partners with local organizations to offer pro-bono legal services to those in need.

Policy Advocacy

Testimony in Support of Safe Communities Act (05/2022)
The Crimmigration Clinic submitted testimony in support of the Safe Communities Act to stop local law enforcement from contracting with ICE to help enforce federal immigration laws. The testimony particularly highlights the racialized outcomes these types of agreements can create.

Letter on Naturalization Oath Ceremonies (6/2020)
Our program, in partnership with Project Citizenship, submitted a letter to the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts urging them to resume naturalization oath ceremonies for aspiring Americans.

Testimony in Support of Senate 2659 and House 4726 (5/2020)
We submitted testimony in support of Senate 2659 and House 4726, which would provide stimulus checks to immigrants and their families who were excluded from the CARES Act.

Failed Accountability: The Unknown Cost of Immigration Detention in Massachusetts (1/2020)
This Crimmigration Clinic report analyzes immigration detention trends in Massachusetts over the last few years, including: the number of individuals detained in Massachusetts facilities; the revenue Massachusetts facilities receive from the federal government for housing ICE detainees; the costs associated with immigration detention at these facilities; and whether those costs and revenues represent a net loss or gain to the Commonwealth.

Letter to the City of Cambridge on Municipal VotingLetter to the City of Cambridge on Legal Defense Fund (5/2017)
Our attorneys and staff members and Immigration Response Initiative (IRI) students submitted two letters to the City of Cambridge: one in support of an initiative to allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections and the other in support of a legal defense fund for immigration representation.

Recent News

We are thrilled to share more about two of our more recent new hires, Eleni Bakst and Michelle Schellinger Gutierrez.
Please join the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program for an event with Rebecca Sharpless '94, author of the new
Cover to the Endless Nightmare report
  The report, "Endless Nightmare”: Torture and Inhuman Treatment in Solitary Confinement in U.S. Immigration Detention, is a joint effort