Center News

Today the University of Minnesota Law School announced a transformational $25 million gift from the Robina Foundation. The grant—the single largest philanthropic gift in the Law School’s history—will fund the newly named James H. Binger Center for New Americans, establish a James H. Binger Professorship in Clinical Law, and provide scholarship support to Law School students.

During the first week of January, students and staff from the Center for New Americans participated in two trips designed to serve vulnerable immigrant populations: a CNA-sponsored trip to Dilley, Texas, and a trip to Tacoma, Wash., sponsored by the Asylum Law Project student group.

On October 13, 2016, the Center for New Americans convened local and national experts for “Immigration Nation: Writing Our Next Chapter,” a panel designed to discuss a variety of immigration-related topics. Panelists included Kalia Abiade, the advocacy director of the Center for New Community; Alondra Cano, Minneapolis City Council member representing the Ninth Ward; Karen Francois, assistant commissioner of the Office of Economic Equity and Opportunity; and Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota has named the Law School’s Center for New Americans as its 2016 National Advocate of the Year. In announcing the award, ILCM executive director John Keller said that the Center’s “commitment to immigrant and refugee issues over the past year was tremendous,” citing its U.S. Supreme Court victory in Mellouli v.

On April 6, Anne Dutton (’16) presented oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Wilfredo Garay-Reyes v. Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney General. The case has attracted national attention, and its outcome could affect thousands of asylum seekers fleeing gang-related persecution in Central America.

On April 6, Anne Dutton (’16) presented oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Wilfredo Garay-Reyes v. Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney General. The case has attracted national attention, and its outcome could affect thousands of asylum seekers fleeing gang-related persecution in Central America.

The Law School’s Center for New Americans, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, and Dorsey & Whitney filed a class action lawsuit challenging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practice of continuing to detain immigrants for months, even after an immigration judge has ruled they cannot be deported to their home countries. The petition argues this practice is unconstitutional.

The National Jurist has named Rajin S. Olson (’16) to its inaugural “Law Students of the Year” feature. The magazine asked more than 200 law schools for “stories of their most devoted students with unparalleled attitudes” and selected 25 individuals from among the nominees, based on such factors as leadership, focus, and commitment to justice.

A legal team from the University of Minnesota Law School’s Center for New Americans (CNA) worked as part of the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project to win stays of removal for women and children who were swept up in deportation raids conducted last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The Law School’s pioneering Center for New Americans (CNA) has announced that Deepinder Singh Mayell will become the director of its Education and Outreach Program in January. The program engages law students, along with the CNA’s law firm and nonprofit partners, in collaborative projects that teach noncitizens about their legal rights and train lawyers to provide high-quality pro bono representation to immigrants.