Center News
Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic Partners with the American Immigration Council to Draft and Publish a New Practice Advisory
Minnesota Law’s Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic (FILC) — part of the James H. Binger Center for New Americans— has partnered with the American Immigration Council to publish a new practice advisory to assist practitioners in advocating for noncitizen clients before the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) and the U.S. Courts of Appeals, particularly in cases in which the government contends that a criminal conviction renders the client removable from the United States.
Prof. Linus Chan Among Attorneys Named Minnesota Attorneys of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer
Professor Linus Chan, the James H. Binger Professor of Clinical Law, has been named a Minnesota Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer in the Group category for his participation in "Immigration Attorneys for Drivers Licenses for All."
Minnesota Law Clinics Head to the U.S. Supreme Court in Important Immigration Case
Two University of Minnesota Law School clinics—the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic (FILC) and the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic (CRA Clinic)—have joined together with the Houston-based law firms Gonzalez Olivieri LLC and Waterhouse, Dominguez & Strom PLLC to represent a noncitizen before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Clinics’ client, Mr.
James H. Binger Center for New Americans Prevails in Landmark Habeas Corpus Case
After years of work, the Binger Center for New Americans has achieved key objectives to protect the rights of noncitizens subject to immigration custody. The Binger Center’s work—spearheaded by the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic (FILC), the Detainee Rights Clinic (DRC), and some of the Center’s nonprofit and law firm partners—has focused on noncitizens with criminal histories who are spending years in mandatory civil immigration detention in Minnesota with little opportunity to meaningfully challenge their custody.
Detainee Rights Clinic Client Wins Asylum Case One of the Detainee Rights Clinic’s Very First Clients Has Been Granted Asylum
Students in the Detainee Rights Clinic (DRC) recently scored a major victory for a client formerly from El Salvador who has been seeking asylum for nearly a decade.
The clinic began representing the person in 2014, one of its first clients. Clinic leaders secured the person’s release from detention to stay deportation. Over the next few years, students worked with faculty to win an appeal at the Board of Immigration that opened a pathway for asylum.
Professor Linus Chan Appointed the James H. Binger Clinical Professor of Law
Professor Linus Chan has been appointed the James H. Binger Clinical Professor of Law. The Board of Regents also recently approved his promotion to the rank of clinical professor of law. His clinical work focuses on removal defense for those detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He is widely recognized for his work on behalf of his clients and for his work with students. From 2021 to 2023, he was the Law School's Vaughan G.
Four Minnesota Law Faculty Promoted by the Board of Regents
Profs. Linus Chan and Caleb Smith have both been promoted to the rank of clinical professor of law. Profs.
Nadia Anguiano '17 Named Associate Clinical Professor of Law
Nadia Anguiano '17 has been named associate clinical professor of law and director of the Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic beginning this May.
Currently a visiting assistant clinical professor, Anguiano has been serving as as director of Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic on an interim basis. With this appointment, she is now a member of the Law School’s permanent, full-time faculty.
James H. Binger Center Hosts Annual Asylum Conference
On November 18, faculty and staff of Minnesota Law and The Advocates co-sponsored the Fall 2022 Asylum Conference. Over 200 attorneys, paralegals and community members learned how to improve client collaboration and build a case record to withstand appeal. Participants built skills to address systemic and implicit bias when representing trauma survivors, including critical interviewing skills and techniques to effectively work with interpreters. Appellate lawyers discussed common errors seen in records on appeal and ways court practitioners can reserve key issues for appea
Minnesota Law Students Help Honduran Trans Woman Win Asylum
Students participating in MinnesotaLaw's Immigration and Human Rights Clinic helped their client Rachell, a 27-year-old trans woman from Honduras, get asylum in the United States. Rachell, who escaped from physical and sexual abuse and the threat of gang violence in her native country, now has a permanent home here.