Staffed by attorneys and students at Harvard Law School, the clinic provides immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers legal support—a mission that has become all the more pressing under the Trump administration.
The Immigration and Refugee Clinic at Harvard Law School is at the center of the University’s response to President Donald Trump’s executive order. GRACE Z. LI
Since Donald Trump won the presidential election in November 2016, everything’s been busier at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program.
Staffed by attorneys and students at Harvard Law School, the clinic provides immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers legal support—a mission that has become all the more pressing under the Trump administration.
In January, Trump signed three executive orders related to immigrants and refugees, prompting widespread protest at Harvard and across the University and spurring a flurry of action at the clinic.
In just the last month, HIRC has helped the University file an amicus brief challenging Trump’s immigration order, organized a number of information sessions for immigrant students, and, most recently, released a report about the effect of Trump’s order on asylum seekers specifically.
The clinic has also hired a new staff attorney, Jason Corral, to work full-time to support undocumented students on campus, and hired clinical instructor Cindy Zapata to oversee the clinic’s expanded programs. Staffers at the clinic also helped pen an additional amicus brief opposing Trump’s order.
In short, it’s been a hectic month.
Maggie J. Morgan ’04, a clinical and advocacy fellow overseeing students at the clinic, said that although it is still unclear how the executive orders will play out, there is already much to do to support clients.
“We just don’t know yet exactly how [the executive orders] will be implemented, but there’s been an enormous increase in activity in the clinic to respond to the threat posed by this administration,” Morgan said. “And there’s a lot of fear in the immigrant community, understandably so, so we’ve focused on reaching out to our clients and the immigrant community.”
As the University responds to a rapidly changing political environment and seeks to supports its international and undocumented students, HIRC has been central to its efforts.
“I think that it also gives people hope and a sense of comfort to know how many people are not just going to sit down and take whatever this administration throws at them,” Morgan said.
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