Securing Equal JusticeSupporting Immigrants

Policing and Immigrants

In the majority of U.S. states over last decade the number of foreign-born residents increased by 30 percent or more, with many of these new arrivals settling in suburban areas once virtually untouched by immigration. Local police agencies are challenged to serve sometimes-vulnerable residents whose culture and language don’t match that of their line officers. Meeting obligations related to homeland security adds yet another layer of complexity.

To address these challenges, we pioneered the growing field of language access and led the way in building bridges between police and Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities. We’ve also trained police in using the U-visa, a safety net for immigrant crime victims that cooperate with police, and published guidebooks written by police for police in how to build trusting relationships with diverse communities.

Related Work

Operation Streamline

No Evidence that Criminal Prosecution Deters Migration

The mass criminal prosecution and incarceration of people entering the country without authorization along the Southwest border has been acclaimed as a success in deterring others from making the same journey. Analysis by the Vera Institute of Justice and Dr. Jonathan Kringen of the University of New Haven, however, shows that there is no evidence ...

Publication
  • Michael Corradini, Laura Simich, Karen Berberich, Jonathan Kringen, Meredith Emigh
June 06, 2018
Publication

New York Immigrant Family Unity Project lays groundwork for constitutional victory

A recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit established that an immigrant is constitutionally entitled to a bond hearing within six months of being detained and must be released on bond unless the government provides compelling evidence that he or she is a flight risk or danger to the community. This important dec ...

Blog Post
  • Bettina Rodriguez  Schlegel
    Bettina Rodriguez Schlegel
December 28, 2015
Blog Post