Conference Explores Landmark Immigration Case 15 Years On
Stetson Law’s Office of Clinical and Experiential Education recently invited defense attorneys to reflect on their work through the lens of a key case involving immigrants’ constitutional rights in criminal proceedings.
The conference, “Padilla v. Kentucky at 15 Years: Asserting the Constitutional Rights of Immigrant Defendants,”examined Padilla, a landmark case the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2010, and all that has happened since. The decision recognized that constitutional rights of immigrants accused of crimes include accurate information about how the outcome of their case might affect their ability to remain in the U.S.
Led by Visiting Director of Clinical and Experiential Education Michael Vastine, a nationally recognized immigration law expert, the conference explored established issues and what Vastine called “hot issues” alike in the area of law where immigration law and criminal law overlap. In the early planning stages of the event in the fall of 2024, organizers had not anticipated the seismic shifts in the national conversation on immigration policy that have since ensued.
“We couldn’t expect that this issue – which some people find controversial; we think it’s just part of our day-to-day work – of immigration consequences of crimes would almost be quaint as opposed to the issues we’re all confronting with civil rights, constitutional freedoms around the country all converging,” Vastine said as the day-long event started.
A gathering of national experts
The day’s conversations included panel discussions among legal scholars, elected public defenders, and non-government organization leaders. They explored structural changes resulting from Padilla, the intersection of constitutional questions and immigration law, and other questions stemming from the case.
Practical discussions delved into the immigration consequences of specific crimes, Padilla’s role in determining the appropriate consequences within the specific circumstances of a given case, the pragmatic impacts of current events as well as federal and state legislation (including the Laken Riley Act) on criminal-immigrant defense, and other topics.
An inspiring perspective
The event’s keynote speaker was Hon. Beverly Martin, a retired judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit who now volunteers extensively for an organization that helps former gang members reintegrate into society after incarceration.
Vastine referred to her as a hero.
“Her passion for justice is just infectious,” he said.
Citing historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the late Congressman Jon Lewis, she encouraged her audience to remain steadfast in their commitment to their clientele, who are among the most vulnerable.
“The work you do is hard and I think that’s one of the most important things about us being able to be here today,” she said. “In this work, not only will you be sad – that helps you see things better – you will be underestimated.”
She also urged her audience to understand the perspectives of others and to see a silver lining in often emotionally draining nature of their work.
“First, we should be grateful, or certainly I’m grateful, that you have seen things that make you cry so that you can see the world more clearly. I’m appreciate that you are willing to do that, that you have those eyes,” Martin said. “But I think we also should be grateful that we found our path.”
Learn more about the Padilla v. Kentucky at 15 Years conference.
Post date: today
Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580