Immigration Law, Policy and Constitutional Rights
This survey course will provide a foundation in immigration law, the system of admission and removal, and the constitutional principles governing the regulation of non-citizens. The course will also explore some selected topics concerning immigrants' rights and the normative values informing contemporary policies by drawing on the instructor's extensive experience litigating constitutional and civil rights issues on behalf of non-citizens throughout the country. After surveying the immigration system and constitutional principles, we will examine such topics as detention of immigrants; state and local immigration regulation; constitutional prohibitions on 'alienage' discrimination; access to the courts and habeas corpus for non-citizens; rights of undocumented workers; extraterritorial application of the Constitution; and Fourth Amendment issues arising in federal immigration enforcement. No prior course or background in immigration law is expected.