Hot Topics in Immigration Law: Summer 2025

Send us Fan MailIt's June in Houston, which means it is hot. And Behind the Lines is focusing on a hot topic this month: Immigration Law. In this final episode of the 2024-2025 Bar Year, we hear about trends in civil and criminal immigration law and have a special "Know Your Rights" segment that will be helpful to lawyers who are not immigration lawyers and need a bit of a refresher. (1) Criminal Immigration Law: A Discussion with the Federal Public DefenderPhilip Gallagher, the Public Defender for the Southern District of Texas, talks about the trends he has been seeing with regard to criminal immigration law. (18.5 minutes)(2) Yes, You Are Extraordinary: EB1-A VisasRinku Ray, Co-Founder of Ray & Fahys, PLLC, discusses the requirements for qualifying for an Extraordinary Ability (EB1-A) Visa, provides some basic information about applying for legal status in the US, and addresses the impact of current events on her clients. (27 minutes)(3) Remember the Children: Children's Immigration Law AcademyDalia Castillo-Granados is the director and co-founder of the Children’s Immigration Law Academy (CILA), a project of the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Immigration.  Dalia addresses current issues impacting immigrant children and discusses the ways CILA supports lawyers representing immigrant children, including providing resources and training for pro bono attorneys.  (18 minutes)(4) You Have the Right To . . . : Immigrant Rights Primer Kate Gibson Kumar, a lawyer from the Beyond Borders Program with the Texas Civil Rights Project, discusses what rights immigrants have and provides some pointers on how they may assert them. (25 minutes)Music by Studio3DMusic from Pixabay.For full speaker bios, visit The Houston Lawyer (hba.org/thehoustonlawyer). To read The Houston Lawyer magazine, visit The Houston Lawyer_home. For more information about the Houston Bar Association, visit Houston Bar Association (hba.org).*The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the views of The Houston Lawyer Editorial Board or the Houston Bar Association.