News

As the nation recovers from the horrific bombings in Boston, conservatives hastily called for delay of the Senate’s upcoming immigration reform debate, perhaps with the intent of proposing more extreme immigration measures and scoring political points with immigration opponents. Some likewise used the fear after Timothy McVeigh’s 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City as an impetus to pass drastic changes to … Read more »

The Supreme Court has released its long-awaited decision in Moncrieffe v. Holder, holding that an offense that punishes the transfer of small amounts of marijuana for no remuneration cannot be deemed a “drug trafficking crime” aggravated felony under the categorical approach.  The Court’s 7-2 decision is also likely to have a beneficial impact on some other key issues regarding the proper … Read more »

We have postponed this event due to a last minute cancellation of the Floyd court case tomorrow.

In Pascual v. Holder, 12-2798, 2d Cir. Feb. 19, 2013, the Second Circuit held that third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in violation of New York Penal Law § 220.39(1) is categorically an aggravated felony. The Court considered and rejected the argument in the Fifth Circuit’s unpublished decision in Davila v. Holder, No. 08-60530, slip op. (5th Cir. … Read more »

Over the years, those of us who fight for immigrant rights have heard our calls for a just immigration system rebuked by most politicians at the federal level. Instead, we have been met with an increasingly harsh mass deportation regime leading to the permanent exile of record numbers of our friends, family, clients, and community members. During the build up … Read more »

Everyone here at IDP hopes this email finds you and your loved ones safe following Hurricane Sandy. Our thoughts are with all those who are still trying to recover from the devastating storm. Disasters like these have an impact on all of us, but they make the situations of those who are most vulnerable even more precarious. Our hearts especially … Read more »

IDP has been working steadfastly to ensure the promise of Padilla both across the state and nationally by attempting to shape the way courts interpret the scope of post-conviction relief for Padilla advisals. We are pleased to share these two exciting recent victories: Appellate Division, First Department Holds that Padilla Applies Retroactively to Convictions at Least as Far Back as … Read more »

On March 28, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an important decision protecting the rights of immigrants with long ago criminal convictions to travel abroad without risking detention and removal upon their return. In Vartelas v. Holder, No 10-1211, the Supreme Court struck down the government’s retroactive application of a 1996 immigration law amendment that the government said allowed denial of … Read more »

On January 30, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Matter of Silva-Trevino, a controversial decision of former Attorney General Mukasey that requires immigration authorities in certain cases to re-try the facts of criminal cases to determine whether the defendant engaged in deportable misconduct rather than relying on the facts established beyond a reasonable doubt in the criminal court.  The effect … Read more »

In an important victory for the rights of immigrants convicted of crimes, on October 25, 2011, New York’s highest court held in a pair of cases that the intermediate appeals courts abuse their discretion when they dismiss the criminal appeals of defendants who have been involuntarily deported. In both People v. Ventura and People v. Gardner, Nos. 11-160, 11-161 (N.Y. Oct. … Read more »

Please Join Us for A Performance and Party to Benefit the Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) IDP & the Law Office of Labe M. Richman PRESENT LAW AND DISORDER My Courthouse Stories Written and Performed by Labe M. Richman MARCH 29, 2012 Open bar and Food begins at 6:15 p.m. Performance at 7:15 p.m. JUDSON MEMORIAL CHURCH 55 WASHINGTON SQUARE SOUTH … Read more »