40204 - Expert Testimony in Deportation Defense or Asylum Cases: Understanding the Process and Putting Your Sociological Skills to Use

Description

Many sociologists have knowledge and skills that could be used for expert testimony in deportation defense or asylum cases, but few actually do such work. The workshop introduces participants to the idea of expert testimony, and offers overviews of the how successful defenses against deportation or claims for asylum are made, and the role of experts in that process. Workshop participants include a sitting Immigration Court judge, and former Asylum Officer for USCIS, and at least two sociologists who have done expert testimony for deportation defense or asylum claim cases. Elements will include sources of legal equity in deportation defense or asylum hearings; how to use sociological analysis in assessing such equities; how to make and defend claims of scholarly expertise; review of actual or hypothetical cases; and question and answer period. The learning goals would be for participants to understand the deportation defense and asylum claim processes better, and to think about doing such work in the future. The 2025 workshop continues the work done in the 2019 and 2021 workshops, which had over 60 attendees. Strong interest has been expressed, and we are discussing how to coordinate with national organizations (eg UnidosUS, formerly National Council of La Raza) on developing a way to get more sociological expertise into expert witness work for deportation, asylum, convention against torture, and similar cases.

Sub Unit

• Workshops / Professional Development Workshop

Presenter

• Neil Hernandez

Session Organizers

• Robert Courtney Smith, Baruch College, CUNY

• Cecilia Menjivar, University of California-Los Angeles