The University of Houston Law Center recently hosted the 2025 Joseph A. Vail Immigration Conference, bringing together legal experts, advocates, and educators to address critical issues involving immigration law, enforcement and asylum. The event occurred just days before President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Several participating experts expressed concern about the speed and timing of the expected mass deportations and what could or should be done in response.
Anna Cabot, director of UH Law Center’s Immigration Clinic, set the tone for the conference with her opening remarks. “I’m more convinced than ever that as immigration advocates, we will only achieve any of our goals through collaboration, community, and solidarity,” she said.
The conference featured three key panels:
- Taking the Law into Its Own Hands: Texas’ Foray into Immigration Law, Policy and Enforcement
- Turning Away the Huddled Masses: Closing the Border and Forbidding Access to the Asylum System
- Now What: Loper Bright and the Future of Immigration Appeals
Panelists included Amrutha N. Jindal, founder and executive director of Lone Star Defenders Office; Kristin Etter, director of policy and legal services at Texas Immigration Law Council; Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston Inc.; Cori Hash, senior staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center; Taylor Levy of Taylor Levy Law; and Sheridan Green of Sheridan Green Law PLLC.
The immediacy of expected immigration changes and the anticipated mass deportation effort in the first days of the Trump administration was high on the panelists’ list of concerns.
Etter expected increased likelihood of mass roundups, deportation camps, the use of state law enforcement, the National Guard, and private contractors, and more operations like Texas’ Operation Lone Star.
“We have to be ready to just be on top of the speed to which things are going to be changing, the speed to which executive orders are going to be issued,” Etter said.
From L to R: Moderator Daniel Morales and presenter Sheridan Green at the “Now what: Loper Bright and the future of immigration appeals” session.
Widespread systemic problems plaguing current immigration policies and processes – in Texas and beyond – were also deep concerns. The panelists acknowledged that much of the damage and decay to the immigration and asylum systems can be traced back for decades.
Panelists highlighted issues such as abuse of bond forfeitures and problematic arrests in a wide range of cases – from trespassing to human smuggling. Jindal noted that self-appointed militia groups along the border often collude with federal immigration enforcement, contributing to controversial practices.
Cori Hash underscored the longstanding systemic decay of the asylum system, pointing to a backlog of 1.4 million pending affirmative asylum cases. “The asylum system has been under siege for years. This is not something that’s going to start on Monday or Tuesday,” Hash said. “The attacks on the asylum system may seem like an implosion.”
Despite the dire predictions, the conference highlighted the enduring legacy of Joseph A. Vail, the namesake of the conference known for his tireless work in immigration protection and reforms. Wafa Abdin, an asylum officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, paid tribute to Vail.
“The three decades that Joe Vail spent providing legal assistance to vulnerable immigrants and issuing legal opinions underscore his unwavering commitment to the principles of justice and equality for all,” Abdin said.
Part of UHLC’s continuing legal education series, the event provided attendees with 4.0 hours of Texas MCLE credits, including 0.5 ethics hours. The discussions served as a sobering reminder of the challenges ahead while fostering hope for meaningful reform through collaboration and advocacy.
For more information about the University of Houston Law Center and its programs, visit https://www.law.uh.edu/
Original source can be found here.