Harris Beach Murtha Immigration Practice Group attorneys have been quoted in several media outlets on timely immigration topics.

• Immigration Practice Group Leader L.J. D’Arrigo was quoted in a Connecticut Law Tribune article about a federal judge’s temporary block of the Trump Administration’s attempt to prevent international students from attending Harvard.
  
  L.J. said the court’s ruling recognized, “that even executive authority in the realm of immigration has limits—particularly when it encroaches on the rights of academic institutions and the due process rights of noncitizens already vetted and approved for student visas.”
  
  He noted that while the executive order was framed under 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), the president was not worried about national security concerns and has provided no “clear evidence” to support these claims. “Courts have historically been cautious when immigration restrictions appear to be politically motivated or when they interfere with academic freedom and institutional autonomy,” L.J. said. “Harvard, like all U.S. universities, has a legally protected interest in admitting students from around the world to promote scholarship and innovation.”
  
  L.J. added: “In the end, I think that Harvard is not resisting because it’s easier—it’s resisting because it believes compliance would cause greater long-term harm to its values, mission, and role as a global academic institution. While compliance may have spared it from immediate backlash that we are witnessing, it would have undermined the very principles that define Harvard’s identity and leadership.” Read the full story (subscription may be required).

• L.J. also participated as a panelist for NJBIZ’s virtual discussion about how recent changes to federal immigration policies could potentially impact businesses and the economy. “A lot of it’s very fluid — there’s a lot of litigation ongoing which can change by the day … and there’s so much back and forth, creating so much uncertainty,” L.J. said.
  
  He continued: “But the problem is that it creates havoc, uncertainty and confusion. Even though the administration probably knows there’s not a good argument to make for some of these executive orders, it just creates confusion even for immigration attorneys. It’s hard to keep up on all of the changes and what the state of the litigation is for the various visa programs. So, I think he’s been very successful in creating chaos. But long term, whether or not these executive actions or policy changes are going to stick? Probably not because they’re probably not constitutional.” Read a recap of the discussion (subscription may be required).

• WFSB-TV consulted attorney Dana R. Bucin for a story about a Meriden, CT high school student recently taken into custody by ICE just days before his graduation.
  
  Dana noted that while the exact circumstances leading to the detention remain unclear, these situations can happen for a wide range of reasons and that it’s important to speak with an attorney before it’s too late.
  
  “You might not be able to avoid deportation orders or even detentions even with the lawyers’ representation, but one thing is for sure you will at least be mentally prepared going in there,” she said. Read the full story.