On the front lines of immigration
Panelists offered a frank and engaging briefing on their front-line experiences related to immigration when they met recently with a group of UMRA members in a conference room provided by the University of Minnesota Foundation at the McNamara Alumni Center.
On Monday, March 2, UMRA members had an opportunity to hear from a panel of legal experts about the immigration situation at the Texas-Mexico border, and to learn about the large number of international students who come to the University.
Karen Schanfield and Eddie Ocampo, both attorneys, and paralegal Rachael Crane talked about their experiences advising immigrant women at the Karnes County Residential Center in South Texas, just north of the border. Karnes is owned by The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO), a private prison company, and operated by GEO in conjunction with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Karnes can hold just over 800 people.
Schanfield, Ocampo, and Crane, all Spanish-speaking and from the Minneapolis law firm Fredrickson and Byron PA, were at the facility as volunteers for a week in September 2019. They described the facility as a prison-like setting that has numerous strictly enforced rules. People in the facility came from many countries in Africa and Latin America, as well as Cuba and Mexico. They spoke many languages, including some for which translation services are not always available. The women the Minneapolis volunteers saw were seeking asylum under U.S. and international law.
The volunteers were able to counsel several women each day, but many were moved during the week so the number of women the volunteers saw decreased dramatically each day. The women were moved to detention facilities in other states, often with little notice. The volunteers succeeded in getting the paperwork in order for many of the women so that some of the work needed for their asylum hearings was completed in advance.
Barriers to entry
The experience gave the volunteers the impression that the barriers to entry imposed by regulations created a difficult and very delayed opportunity for the migrants to assert their cases. The movement to other facilities and the handling of the migrants’ claims for asylum effectively created a deterrent to remain in the U.S., regardless of the merits of their claims.
We also heard from Marissa Hill-Dongre from the University’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). Marissa is an immigration attorney who is also the director of the U’s Immigration Response Team. She has worked for ISSS for 10 years and has comprehensive knowledge of immigration matters that affect the University. She gave a great presentation of the issues facing the University and the large number of international students we have recruited to our campuses.
Currently, the University has 5,973 international students, which constitutes just under 12 percent of enrollment. Our international students are from 130 different locations in the world but almost 80 percent are from Asia.
In response to questions, Marissa provided the following links for additional information about immigration, the University program, and volunteer opportunities:
- ISSS annual reports: https://isss.umn.edu/publications/annual-report.html
- Immigration statistics: trac.syr.edu
- Court observation volunteer opportunities: law.umn.edu/james-h-binger-center-new-americans/volunteer-opportunities and theadvocatesforhumanrights.org/volunteer
- Information about the University's Dream Fund, managed by the Immigration Response Team: immigration.umn.edu/take-action/dream-fund-application
Our thanks to all four panelists for their wonderful, engaging presentations!
—Bill Donohue, president
Immigration presentation March 2
Wed, Feb 19 2020, 9am
UMRA will hold a session on immigration on Monday, March 2, at the University of Minnesota Foundation in the Gross Family Board Room on the McNamara Alumni Center 5th Floor beginning at 1 p.m.
Three of our featured presenters will be Rachel Crane, Eddie Ocampo, and Karen Schanfield. They are all from the law firm Fredrikson & Byron, based in Minneapolis, and in September served as volunteers providing advice to women attempting to migrate to the U.S. across the Texas-Mexico border. They will talk about their experiences and share some reflections on their journey.
We will also have the opportunity to hear from and ask questions of Marissa Hill-Dongre, director of the U of M’s Immigration Response Team. If you are interested in immigration issues, this is a great opportunity to hear from some very knowledgeable people.
If you’d like to attend, please send me an email and I will make sure that we have enough coffee. Hope to see you there.
— Bill Donohue, president
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.