IRVINE, Calif. (June 2, 2023) — The University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) is delighted to announce that the UCI Law Immigrant Rights Clinic (IRC) and Professor Annie Lai were awarded the Immigrants’ Rights Award at the ACLU SoCal Advocates for Justice Reception on June 1, 2023. They joined Hunter V. Armour, Madelyn Chen, Anjan Choudhury, Jacob Kreilkamp, Giovanni Saarman González, Brandon R. Teachout, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), and the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICIJ) with this honor, for their extraordinary work on the class action case, Kidd v. Mayorkas.
Kidd v. Mayorkas was filed in April 2020 by attorneys with the ACLU SoCal, the UCI Law Immigrant Rights Clinic and the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP challenging U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) practice of impersonating police officers, among other tactics, when conducting warrantless arrests of community members at their homes. Osny Sorto Vasquez-Kidd, CHIRLA, and ICIJ serve as plaintiffs. A federal judge granted class certification in the case in February 2023.
This award recognizes the honorees’ tremendous time and effort in securing important legal victories, collecting and disclosing substantial information, and for developing an innovative “know your rights” campaign to educate and empower communities. The IRC was one of the lead counsel on the motion for class certification and clinic students assisted with the documentation of community members’ experiences for the motion. Read more about the case here.
It has been a privilege to represent the plaintiffs in this important case and uphold the right of immigrant community members to feel safe in their homes.
– Annie Lai, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Immigrant Rights Clinic
“It has been a privilege to represent the plaintiffs in this important case and uphold the right of immigrant community members to feel safe in their homes,” said Annie Lai, Clinical Professor of Law and Director, Immigrant Rights Clinic. “We have learned much from the class members who came forward to tell their stories, from our organizational clients, and from our co-counsel.”
About the University of California, Irvine School of Law
The University of California, Irvine School of Law is a visionary law school that provides an innovative and comprehensive curriculum, prioritizes public service, and demonstrates a commitment to equity within the legal profession. UCI Law students have completed more than 148,000 hours of pro bono work since 2009. Nearly half of all UCI Law’s J.D. graduates are people of color. At UCI Law, we are driven to improve our local, national, and global communities by grappling with important issues as scholars, as practitioners, and as teachers who are preparing the next generation of leaders. The collaborative and interdisciplinary community at UCI Law includes extraordinary students, world-renowned faculty, dedicated staff, engaged alumni, and enthusiastic supporters. Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and sign up for our monthly newsletter for the latest news and events at UCI Law.
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