At the annual Northwestern Center for Legal Studies Law in Motion talk Thursday, Lisa Koop, the National Director of Legal Services at the National Immigrant Justice Center, warned of growing threats to immigrant laws and communities.
Prof. Joanna Grisinger, the Director of Legal Studies, organizes the Law in Motion talks every year.
“For this year, we wanted to invite the speaker who sees how law works in the real world,” Grisinger said. “After the election and immigration reforms, politics was a big topic of interest among the students. We were really excited to bring a practitioner.”
Koop focused on recent policy shifts and new executive orders — passed under President Donald Trump’s administration — that have made it increasingly difficult for immigrants and asylum seekers to find protection in the United States.
“We are experiencing increased enforcement, changes in law and death by a thousand cuts,” Koop said. “What’s happening now, is going to continue happening for the next four years.”
The event, held in Swift Hall, drew an audience of about 100 students, faculty and community members.
Throughout her talk, Koop highlighted the main goals of NIJC, including keeping families together and protecting neighbors from deportation. To do this, she emphasized the importance of preventing and being aware of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detonations.
“There are several ways you can respond,” Koop said. “Know your rights, support our immigrant neighbors, avoid fraud and promote access to legal services.”
According to Koop, one way NIJC makes its impact is by traveling to shelters where immigrant children are being held until they can be safely reunited with a parent or another adult. During these visits, NIJC staff witness firsthand the challenges immigrant families face, particularly as enforcement measures by ICE have intensified.
Koop discussed how ICE has intensified enforcement measures, often targeting communities in ways that instill fear and uncertainty among immigrant populations.
She said ICE detainers have increased the rise of family separations, which also happened during President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
“Last Friday, we learned about a woman from Waukegan who was a survivor of domestic violence and is a mother of four United States citizen children,” Koop said. “She has recently been arrested by ICE, in front of her children and taken to Clay County Jail. Thankfully, some of our colleagues here in Chicago helped her to apply for immigration benefits and get her out of jail since she is the victim of a crime.”
Last month, Evanston City Council unanimously codified greater protections for Evanston immigrants ahead of President Trump’s inauguration.
Weinberg freshman Campbell Portland said Koop’s lecture helped her understand new policies and the procedure of executive orders better.
“The way the new Trump administration has been working has made me concerned about the new policies,” Portland said. “The speaker was very knowledgeable at the inner workings of the legal system, and she offered this first-hand experience, which was really valuable.”
During the Q&A portion of the event, an attendee asked Koop about the potential future of the granted asylum under the new administration.
“It will be very difficult with new Trump policies to qualify for asylum,” Koop said. “But I have seen a lot of attorney firms working and helping fill the (asylum) applications.”
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