Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 – Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020

06:15 PM – 08:00 PM
US/Central

In Partnership with the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative

John F. Kennedy called the United States a nation of immigrants. We are home to more immigrants than any other nation in the world, with over 40 million people living in the U.S. who were born in another country. The population of immigrants is also very diverse, with nearly every country in the world represented among U.S. immigrants. However, the history of the United States also includes the displacement and massacre of millions of indigenous peoples, the enslavement of generations of Africans, race-based quotas in our immigration laws, and the internment of Japanese Americans in camps. As a country, we have a long and complicated history with migrants. The current administration's policy toward immigrants is the latest chapter for us to confront as a nation. The "Migrant Protection Protocols" (or MPP), implemented in 2019, has stranded thousands of refugees in camps in Mexico and Central America, limiting the ability of Central Americans, Cubans, Asians, and Africans to seek asylum.

Asia Society and Houston Immigration Legal Services are partnering to host a nonpartisan discussion on what is happening on the border right now. Join us to hear firsthand accounts from legal advocates who have spent time on the border. We hope attendees will leave better informed, inspired, and moved to local, state, and national action.

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Schedule

6:15 p.m. Registration
6:30 p.m. Program
7:30 p.m. Audience Q&A

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About the Moderator

Andrea Guttin is the Legal Director for the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, where she works to grow Houston’s legal community capacity through collaboration and innovation. Andrea leads HILSC’s Legal Services Capacity Building program area, providing support to working groups and managing collaborative legal projects to help them meet their goals. Andrea facilitates collaboration among and expanding relationships with HILSC members and stakeholders, and keeps those members informed about immigration legal and policy changes. Andrea also strategically engages in pro-immigrant advocacy and building advocacy capacity within member organizations.

Before joining the Collaborative, Andrea managed Human Rights First’s Houston office, where she mentored attorneys in the pro bono legal representation of asylum seekers and children, and represented individuals and families in immigration proceedings. Andrea has experience working with detained and non-detained immigrants, in both affirmative and defensive settings. Andrea received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2009, along with a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas. She is author of “The Criminal Alien Program: Immigration Enforcement in Travis County, Texas” (American Immigration Council, 2010). She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and is admitted to practice law in Texas, New York, and Georgia.

Additional speaker information will be announced.

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Asia Society Texas Center Business & Policy Programs, Endowed by

Huffington Foundation

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas Center are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, United Airlines, and Wells Fargo. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Nancy Pollok Guinee, and Mary Lawrence Porter, as well as The Brown Foundation, Inc. and Houston Endowment. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Asia Society Texas Center, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

Business & Policy Presenting Sponsors

Presenting Partner