Lawful Assembly Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 9: To Do A Blessing Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This is a podcast interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, founder and former Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. Inspired by the Rev. Dr. Silvester S. Beaman’s benediction from the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 20, 2021, this podcast urges those seeking to reform immigration law to seek our common humanity. Recognizing the whirlwind of changes in immigration and refugee law from 2017 to the present, the podcast suggests we have to consider what we owe to those who have contributed to the growth of our nation as we reconsider how best to reform our nation’s laws. To listen to the benediction of the Rev. Dr. Silvester S. Beaman, Pastor of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilmington, Delaware, see: bethelwilmington.org

To read more of how Abraham Lincoln understood his motivation for the Emancipation Proclamation, see, Garry Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg, The Words That Remade America, (Simon & Schuster, New York, N.Y., 1992) pp. 143-44.

For a compilation of the many changes that occurred within immigration law and policy since 2017 and some of the projected proposals for change, see: www.aila.org/advo-media/issues/all/first-100-days

Episode 8: Honor World Children’s Day Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. On November 20, 2020, the designated World Children’s Day, Rev. Mousin discusses what can be done in response to the thousands of children detained, deported, and excluded from applying for remedies permitted under the Refugee Act of 1980. In addition, he invokes the ten immediate priorities recommended by a coalition of several national organizations including among others, The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and the American Academy of Pediatricians to correct United States immigration and refugee law and policy regarding children.

The Immediate Priorities for the Protection of Immigrant Children can be found at: www.theyoungcenter.org/stories/2020/…%20Priorities. Amnesty International offers one way to take immediate action to protest the proposed deportation of the 28 children and their families through this link: act.amnestyusa.org/page/59764/acti…&forwarded=true

The podcast refers to an On Being interview with the late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks which can be found at: onbeing.org/programs/rememberin…ord-jonathan-sacks/ Rev. Mousin’s article “You Were Told to Love the Immigrant, But What if the Story Never Happened? Hospitality and United States Immigration Law” provides additional information on Rev. Theodore Conklin’s description of the hospitality offered Mary, Joseph, and Jesus when they fled into Egyptian exile in the text at footnote 128. St. Vincent DePaul’s call to not abandon the children can be found in the same article in the text at footnote 172. See: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?a…stract_id=2784951

For more information on World Children’s Day see: www.un.org/en/observances/world-childrens-day In addition, for a discussion on the Convention of the Rights of the Child and the United States’ failure to adopt it and its impact on asylum-seeking children, see Rev. Mousin’s article on “Rights Disappear When US Policy Engages Children as Weapons of Deterrence,” at: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?a…stract_id=3317913

Episode 7: Can It Be Fair Process Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Can It Be Fair Process Without a Fair Process to File an Asylum Application?

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He responds to the federal government’s proposed regulations that would change the time limit for filing an asylum application before an Immigration Judge. These proposed rules will hinder the ability of individuals to pursue cases without lawyers and increase the difficulty of pro bono representation by volunteer lawyers. We encourage you to file your own comments opposing part or all of the proposed procedures and asking the government to withdraw the entire proposed rule. To assist you in obtaining a link to the proposed procedures or in filing your comment, you may incorporate your remarks into one of the templates provided by the following:

Our colleagues at the National Immigrant Justice Center have provided sample comments and a link to file comments at: immigrantjustice.salsalabs.org/protectas…70008cc18

You may also find the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s template at: www.aila.org/takeaction#/89

Both websites provide additional information on how the proposed regulations prevent bona fide applicants from litigating their cases. To be accepted by the government, please ensure your comments are filed on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, October 23, 2020.

The critical point remains that you choose at least one element of the proposed rules that you believe is incompatible with our nation’s commitment to fair process to achieve justice and make your voice heard.

If you are curious about the details necessary to file a complete asylum application, you can view the ten-page form and the instructions at: www.uscis.gov/i-589

Please note, American Baptist Churches v. Thornburgh, 760 F.Supp. 796 (N.D. Ca. 1991), was actually settled on January 31, 1991 instead of 1990 as stated in the podcast.

Episode 6: Ombuds Day 2020: What’s an Ombuds To Do in a Polarized Society? Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, DePaul’s University Ombudsperson. Craig is founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. In recognition of Ombuds Day 2020, Craig talks about the role of an Ombuds in a polarized society. Ombuds not only serve their institution, but their skills and experience can model practices and provide guidance in addressing polarization and conflict outside the walls of our institutions as well. For another example of how an Ombuds can serve an institution’s ability to live out its mission, see Craig’s article in the Vincentian Heritage Journal, “Vincentian Leadership: Advocating for Justice,” at works.bepress.com/craig_mousin/5/

Episode 5: Celebrate Ombuds Day--October 8, 2020 Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Join Ombuds and friends from around the world to celebrate the peacemaking work of Ombuds. Sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Dispute Resolution Committee (www.americanbar.org/groups/dispute_resolution/). Ombuds Day will meet virtually, but intentionally, on Thursday, October 8,2020 to raise up the work of Ombuds and seek ways to address resolution of conflict and miscommunication. Craig B. Mousin, DePaul University’s Ombudsperson (offices.depaul.edu/mission-ministr…es/default.aspx) provides an introduction to Ombuds Day and the work of Ombuds in this Lawful Assembly podcast. You can find additional information as well as the link to register for events on Thursday at: www.americanbar.org/groups/dispute_…cle/ombuds-day/

Episode 4: Help Our System of Justice Work Best Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin, founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center which later became the National Immigrant Justice Center (www.immigrantjustice.org), and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He responds to the federal government’s proposed regulations that would limit the discretion of Immigration Judges and change the procedure for appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals. These proposed rules will hinder the ability of individuals to pursue cases without lawyers and increase the difficulty of pro bono representation by volunteer lawyers. Cumulatively, if implemented, they will harm our communities and undermine our system of justice. We encourage you to file your own comments opposing part or all of the proposed procedures and asking the government to withdraw the entire proposed rule. To assist you in obtaining a link to the proposed procedures or in filing your comment, you may incorporate your remarks into one of the templates provided by the following:

Our colleagues at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. have provided sample comments and a link to file comments at: cliniclegal.org/resources/federal…oir-proposed-rule

You may also find the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s template at:
www.aila.org/takeaction#/88
Both websites provide additional information on how the proposed regulations restrict access to the courts and prevent bona fide applicants from litigating and their cases. To be accepted by the government, please ensure your comments are filed on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 25, 2020.

Justice Ginsburg’s law review article, “In Pursuit of the Public Good: Access to Justice in the United States,” 7 Washington University Journal of Law & Policy 1, 8 (2001) can be found at: openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcont…l_law_policy

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals case can be found at page 8 of Meza Morales v. Barr, 2020 WL 5268986, (7th Cir.).

The TRAC Immigration report from Syracuse University on “The Life and Death of Administrative Closure” can be found at: trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/623/ (September 10, 2020).

Please share this podcast and links with members of your community or faith organizations, family members and friends. Encourage them to file comments to help ensure that our nation continues its commitment to a fair process and access to justice. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Episode 3: Repair the Breach Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Repair the Breach: Help All in Your Community Be Counted in the 2020 Census

This episode is an interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He discusses how the Census, by counting all those residing in the United States every ten years, if done well, helps the nation repair past breaches to our body politic. In the wake of a pandemic, civic unrest and the long road to healing our nation from the consequences of slavery and racism, the Census offers an opportunity for all of “We the People” to be counted and leading to a fairer representation. The government will stop counting residents in this Census on September 30, 2020, thus necessitating that we all use our resources to ensure a fair count. You can go to www.census.gov for information on how to encourage greater participation. If you would like to participate in a phone bank sponsored by the Urban League of Chicago on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 to encourage participation in the City of Chicago, you can volunteer by emailing kbutler@chiul.org (Kareem Butler, Director of Learning and Evaluation, Chicago Urban League). The quotation from Professor Akhill Reed Amar can be found in American’s Constitution, A Biography,” (Random House, N.Y., 2005), 87. For a description of rotten districts / rotten boroughs see P.84.

Please share this podcast and links with members of your community or faith organizations, family members and friends. Encourage them to assist all members of their communities to file their Census form to generate a fair count of all. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Episode 2: New Opportunity to Oppose Proposed Regulations Precluding Asylum Eligibility Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

This is a podcast interview with Rev. Craig B. Mousin founder and former Executive Director of the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center and an Adjunct Faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Law and The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy. He talks about responding to the federal government’s proposed regulations that would make asylum seekers ineligible for asylum and related remedies based on purported public health considerations. We encourage you to file your own comments opposing part or all of the proposed procedures and asking the government to withdraw the entire proposed rule. To assist you in obtaining a link to the proposed procedures or in filing your comment, you may incorporate your remarks into one of the templates provided by the following:
The National Immigrant Justice Center’s template is at:
immigrantjustice.salsalabs.org/asylumreg…ndex.html
If you are concerned about unaccompanied minors or children refugee issues, you can find the Young Center’s template at:
www.theyoungcenter.org/stand-with-asylum-seekers
Both websites provide additional information on how the proposed regulations restrict access to the courts and prevent bona fide applicants from presenting their cases for asylum. To be accepted by the government, please make sure your comments are filed on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT, Monday, August 10 2020.
For additional information on the pretext of the public health need for these proposals, see: www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/new…-many-asylum

Please share this podcast and links with members of your community or faith organizations, family members and friends. Encourage them to file comments to help ensure that our nation continues to offer shelter for refugees in need. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Episode 1: Portland - What Border are we Defending? Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

In this episode Rev. Craig B. Mousin discusses the deployment of federal officers to Portland in reaction to the ongoing protests. He discusses the problem of relying on federal immigration officers for local law enforcement and links some of Chicago’s responses to federal interference in local matters.

He references a previous podcast about DACA recipients and their families and communities. It is available here:

Bcicirel – It-is-more-than-just-the-dreamers

For more insight into the distinction between the constitutional constraints on Customs And Border Enforcement and local law enforcement, see a blog co-authored by a former colleague at DePaul College of Law’s Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic, Linus Chan, now an Associate Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School: “Trump’s Paramilitary Unites Trained at the Border for the Assaults on Portland Moms,” by Linus Chan and Carrie L. Rosenbaum. slate.com/news-and-politics/20…d-moms-attacked.html

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