Advocacy, Activism and Immigration

Slought is pleased to announce "Advocacy, Activism and Immigration," a conversation about the effects of U.S. immigration policy on immigrants and refugees and strategies for social justice, on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 from 12-1:30pm.

Organized with the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) Action SP2 initiative, Social Work Advocates for Immigrant Rights (SWAIR), and International Advocates for Human Rights (IHRA), the event hopes to open an interdisciplinary dialogue on the legal and social issues current immigration policies has on our communities and provide simple tools and resources community members, students and professionals can utilize to advocate for social justice.

The event takes the form of a response to President Trump's second entry ban ("Muslim ban 2.0"), which is currently blocked by a federal judge in Hawaii. The conversants will discuss how advocates and activists can ensure protection of human rights of immigrants and refugees under the US constitution and what practical steps they can take to hold our elected representatives accountable for unconstitutional policies and practices. In addition, they will engage the social and emotional impacts the recent executive orders have on immigrant and refugee communities and the steps social workers and practitioners can take to ensure these underlying issues are being addressed. Some of these advocacy or direct service services practices can include designing and coordinating community support programs for undocumented and refugee families, advocating for stronger social service programs for vulnerable immigrants and refugees or carrying out research. We hope this conversation will contribute to the development of new strategies and acts of resistance to unconstitutional executive orders and negative government rhetoric on immigration.

The event will consist of a panel discussion with John L. Jackson, Jr., Dean of the School of Social Policy & Practice, Fernando Chang-Muy, Thomas O'Boyle Lecturer, Penn Law, and Jonah Eaton, Staff Attorney at the Nationalities Service Center. A light lunch will be provided.