Links

This website provides links to many valuable resources in criminal and immigration law. These links are organized by the following categories:

Criminal Immigration Law

ACLU Immigrant Rights Project
This website provides access to ACLU materials relating to immigration, including "Briefing Papers" and position statements. Link to an archive of materials presented to Congress via correspondence or in-person testimony.

American Bar Association
The ABA website offers information from the international law and commission on immigration. They offer many valuable legal guides for ICE detainees at their Publications site.

The Advocates for Human Rights

This website includes human rights toolkits and resources.

Immigration Policy Center (IPC) of the American Immigration Council

The IPC website contains a wealth of information about current immigration trends including, self-published reports, current statistics, legal updates, recent media coverage of immigration issues, public education materials and more.

American Immigration Council

The American Immigration Council (formerly the American Immigration Law Foundation) was established to promote public understanding of immigration law and policy through education, policy analysis, and support to litigators. The AIC provides practice advisories.

Domestic Violence and Immigrants

ASISTA

ASISTA is a collaboration between four nationally-recognized legal experts who work to provide comprehensive and cutting-edge technical assistance on the intersection between immigration and domestic violence law. Its purpose is to centralize, enhance and expand immigration assistance to frontline advocates and attorneys who provide legal assistance to immigrant victims.

Boston College Post-Deportation Human Rights Project
This website is designed to address the harsh effects of current U.S. deportation policies, providing direct representation to individuals who have been deported and promoting the rights of deportees and their family members through research, policy analysis, human rights advocacy, and training programs.

Catholic Legal Immigration Network

CLINIC operates as a legal support agency for a rapidly growing national network of Catholic immigration programs. Beyond its menu of trainings and technical support services to member agencies, CLINIC organizes national programs for particularly needy populations and directly represents vulnerable groups that its local partner agencies cannot. The work of CLINIC and its network focuses on the most vulnerable, such as INS detainees, refugees, asylum-seekers, families in need of reunification, and victims of trafficking and domestic violence.

Cultural Issues In Criminal Defense
Visit their website.

Defending Immigrants Partnership

A collaboration of immigrant advocacy and defense organizations devoted to ensuring effective legal representation of non-citizen defendants in criminal proceedings, has launched a free online resource for criminal defenders to provide defenders with various strategies to mitigate the immigration consequences of a criminal plea or disposition and to fend against immigration enforcement in the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Detention Watch Network
The Detention Watch Network website provides information on the importance of international human rights law concerning the detention of immigrants. Detention Watch Network offers many detention related documents and services including Know Your Rights in Detention at and information about immigration detention for detainees and families.

Federal Controlled Substances Checklist
The official alphabetical list of all controlled substances forbidden under federal drug laws.

Federal Convictions Reversed: The Federal Public Defender Northern District of New York has posted a large collection of federal criminal cases reversing convictions.

Georgetown Law Library

The Georgetown Law Library website offers information on immigration and human rights law and documents.

Immigrant Legal Resource Center
ILRC staff attorneys provide on-site and telephone consultation, training workshops and seminars, and educational curricula on immigration issues to pro-bono attorneys and nonprofit agencies serving immigrants throughout the United States. ILRC also offers litigation support in select cases, including representing clients, filing amicus briefs, serving as expert witnesses, and providing analysis of rules and laws, both proposed and enacted. The ILRC website contains useful materials and publications on immigration consequences of criminal cases in California and the Ninth Circuit.

Immigration Consequences Charts – Federal and Selected State Crimes
These charts give a quick summary of the federal immigration consequences of convictions of selected federal and state crimes.

California
Quick Reference Chart and Notes for California Convictions
(free registration required).

Arizona
Arizona convictions
(free registration required).

The Quick Reference Guide to California Convictions is a guide to assist public defenders and others to determine the immigration consequences of selected California offenses. The Chart can be viewed organized numerically by Penal Code section or alphabetically by name of offense

The Quick Reference Chart and Notes for Arizona offenses is a guide to assist public defenders and other to determine the immigration consequences of selected Arizona offenses.

Effect of Selected Drug Pleas After Lopez v. Gonzales, a quick reference chart on the immigration consequences of drug pleas for criminal defenders in the Ninth Circuit.

Defending Noncitizens Accused or Convicted of Domestic Violence Offenses, Stalking, or Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect, by Katherine Brady and Angie Junck, provides a comprehensive review of the consequences of domestic violence and related offenses and arguments and strategies for both immigration attorneys and criminal defenders handling these cases.

Defense Strategies for Applying for the former § 212(c) Relief in Light of Matter of Blake, by Katherine Brady and Joseph Justin Rollins, provides strategies for asserting that aggravated felonies that are not related to controlled substances can be waived under the former § 212(c); available in Word.

Brief: Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The ILRC’s amicus brief in support of a petition for rehearing in Valencia v Gonzales, 406 F.3d 1154 (9th Cir. 2005). The brief argues that statutory rape under Cal. P.C. §261.5 is not categorically an aggravated felony, either as a crime of violence or as sexual abuse of a minor, and opposes the court’s conclusion that consensual sex between a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old is a crime of violence. It includes national statistics about incidence of sexual activity among older teen-agers.

Practice Advisory: Update on Shepard, the Record of Conviction, and the Aiding and Abetting Defense. The Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit have beneficial new law on important defenses.

Practice Advisory: Stipulating to the Police Report is Harmful for Non-Citizen Defendants

Practice Advisory: DUI and Obtaining a 364-Day Sentence -- New Concerns

Practice Advisory: New Developments in Defending Fraud and Theft Offenses

Immigrant Defense Project
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP), formerly an initiative of the New York State Defenders Association, defends the legal, constitutional and human rights of immigrants facing criminal or deportation charges.

Immigration Advocates Network

The Immigration Advocates Network is a free national online network that supports legal advocates working on behalf of immigrants' rights, whose website includes information on criminal immigration law.

National Immigrant Justice Center

Heartland Alliance's National Immgrant Justice Center (formerly the Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center) ensures human rights protections and access to justice for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers through direct legal services, policy reform, impact litigation, and public education. NIJC is a program of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, an anti-poverty, human rights organization that provides housing, health care, and human services to improve the lives of impoverished Chicagoans.

National Immigration Forum
National Immigration Forum is committed to embrace and uphold America's tradition as a nation of immigrants. The Forum advocates and builds public support for public policies that welcome immigrants and refugees and that are fair and supportive to newcomers in our country.

The purpose of the National Immigration Forum is to embrace and uphold America's tradition as a nation of immigrants. Employing an effective combination of advocacy, media work, targeted research, and public education, the Forum provides accurate, reliable data to our nation's policy makers, the press, and the public about the invaluable contributions of newcomers to our multi-ethnic society.

National Immigration Legal Center (NILC)

NILC is a national support center whose mission is to protect and promote the rights and opportunities of low income immigrants and their family members. NILC staff specialize in immigration law, and the employment and public benefits rights of immigrants. The Center conducts policy analysis and impact litigation and provides publications, technical advice, and trainings to a broad constituency of legal aid agencies, community groups, and pro bono attorneys. NILC maintains offices in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Washington, D.C., and operates the Sacramento policy office for the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative.

National Lawyers Guild National Immigration Project

National Immigration Project is a national membership organization of lawyers, law students, legal workers, and jailhouse lawyers working to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants in the United States including noncitizen criminal defendants.

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)
NNIRR is a national organization composed of local coalitions and immigrant, refugee, community, religious, civil rights and labor organizations and activists. It serves as a forum to share information and analysis, to educate communities and the general public, and to develop and coordinate plans of action on important immigrant and refugee issues.

National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women

The National Network to End Violence Against Immigrant Women is a coalition of survivors, immigrant women, advocates, activists, attorneys, educators and other professionals committed to ending violence against immigrant women by: working with diverse immigrant communities to prevent violence against women; building capacity for immigrant women to become leaders against all forms of violence; promoting an understanding of the complex realities of immigrant women facing violence; providing technical and training support to service providers, attorneys, community advocates, and other professionals (both governmental and non-governmental) working with immigrant women at the local, state, federal, and international levels; Increasing public awareness, education, and understanding of issues around violence against women, and in particular, immigrant women; promoting law and public policy reforms at the local, state, and national levels that benefit immigrant women facing violence; and sharing best practices throughout the network locally, nationally, and globally.

Penn State Dickinson School of Law Center for Immigrants' Rights
To visit their website, click here.

TRAC Immigration

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) is a data gathering, data research and data distribution organization at Syracuse University. TRAC publishes information about federal enforcement, staffing, and spending.

Washington Defender Immigration Project

In recognition of the severe immigration consequences facing noncitizen defendants accused and convicted of crimes, the Washington Defender Association established the Immigration Project in 1999. The mission of WDA's Immigration Project is to defend and advance the rights of noncitizens within the criminal justice system, noncitizens facing the immigration consequences of crimes, and noncitizens facing the detrimental impacts of selective state and federal enforcement policies post-9/11.

Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Law Library

The Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Law Library provides links to human rights organizations and resources on international law

Immigrants' Organizations

Alternative Chance
American Friends Service Committee Project Voice
American Justice Through Immigrants' Eyes
Deportable Guy
Families for Freedom
Homies Unidos
Justice Detained: The Effects of Deportation on Immigrant Families
Returnee Integration Support Program
Southeast Asian Resource Action Center

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

U.S. Government

Cornell's Legal Information Institute

This website is a virtual law library with links to federal and state cases, legal materials and assorted other essential legal tools.

Department of Homeland Security

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services

Executive Office for Immigration Review

Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs

Department of State - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

THOMAS -- U.S. Congress Legislative Information

Thomas, a site operated by the federal government, named after Thomas Jefferson, is a one-stop for federal legislative information.

Government Printing Office - Superintendent of Documents

FedWorld Information Network

Legal and Legislative Resources

Legal Research

LawInfo.com

LawCrawler.com

FindLaw.com

Government Information

Legislative Research

Judicial Research

Supreme Court Decisions
Cornell Legal Information Institute
FindLaw.Com's Supreme Court Page
Federal Judicial Center
U.S. Courts of Appeals & District Courts
First Circuit [Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island]
Second Circuit [Connecticut, New York, Vermont]
Third Circuit [Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands]
Fourth Circuit [Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia]
Fifth Circuit [Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas]
Sixth Circuit [Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee]
Seventh Circuit [Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin]
Eighth Circuit [Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota]
Ninth Circuit [Alaska, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Washington]
Tenth Circuit [Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming]
Eleventh Circuit [Alabama, Florida, Georgia]
District of Columbia Circuit
Federal Circuit
National Center for State Courts
State Court Websites
University of Michigan Refugee Case Law Search

Government Agencies

International

Human Rights

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards.

Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

The Washington College of Law (WCL) has a long commitment to human rights and to the rule of law internationally. Established in 1990, the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law serves to coordinate many of WCL's human rights efforts.

DIANA International Human Rights Database

This site is designed to be a reference tool for research in human rights law, with online litigation documents and links to reference sites throughout the Internet.

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. HRW stands with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. HRW investigates and exposes human rights violations and holds abusers accountable. HRW challenges governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. HRW enlists the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship, the bi-monthly magazine for free speech, widens the debates on freedom of expression with some of the world's best writers. Through interviews, reportage, banned literature and polemic, Index shows how free speech affects the issues of the moment.

International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission

Every day, in countries throughout the world, the fundamental human rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgendered people, and people with HIV and AIDS are violated. These abuses include: murder; incarceration; forced psychiatric "treatment"; torture; arbitrary arrest and detention; denial of the freedoms of association, press, and movement; denial of the right to seek refuge/asylum; immigration restrictions; forced marriage; the revocation of parental rights; and numerous other forms of discrimination. IGLHRC's mission is to protect and advance the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.

Lawyers Committee for Human Rights

Since 1978, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights has worked to protect and promote fundamental human rights. Its work is impartial, holding all governments accountable to the standards affirmed in the International Bill of Human Rights. Its programs focus on building the legal institutions and structures that will guarantee human rights in the long term. Strengthening independent human rights advocacy at the local level is a key feature of its work.

Library of Congress - Country Studies/Area Handbook Program

This website contains the on-line versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies/Area Handbook Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Army. At present, 101 countries and regions are covered.

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library

Links to more than 6500 human rights documents and materials.

World Organization Against Torture USA

The World Organization Against Torture USA is a non-profit human rights monitoring, reporting and advocacy group, and a U.S. affiliate of the international World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), a worldwide network of over 200 human rights organizations, each focusing attention on their own government's compliance with international human rights standards, and a member of the SOS Torture Network, an electronic information clearinghouse circulating case alerts involving major torture related abuses worldwide.

Resource Center of the Americas

The Resource Center of the Americas, the Minneapolis-based nonprofit publisher of AMERICAS.ORG, is devoted to the notion that every person in this world is entitled to the same fundamental human rights. Our starting point for promoting these rights is learning and teaching about the peoples and countries of the Americas—their history, culture and politics. We focus especially on the global economy, a system in which a minority flourishes while millions of people lack adequate food, shelter and employment.

Human Rights, Civil Rights and Refugees