9:30-11:30 a.m.
Columbus Hall C/D, Ballroom Level
East Tower
Hyatt Regency, 151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago

This panel of national and local experts will address recent developments in law and policy related to the extensive, hidden world of immigration detention. Approximately 200,000 adult and children "detainees" have become the fastest growing prison population in our country as a result of draconian 1996 immigration law amendments mandating the detention of asylum-seekers and immigrants. The panelists will discuss the challenges and opportunities posed by the new INS Detention Standards; the vulnerable constituencies of women, children, people with disabilities, gays and lesbians and people with HIV/AIDS in INS custody; and strategies for success in representing detained clients. The panel will provide the audience with concrete ways that attorneys, law students and volunteers can become involved in supporting advocacy and representation efforts for detainees.

Panelists:

Arthur C. Helton, Esq., Council On Foreign Relations, Chair- ABA Immigration and Nationality Committee/SILP (Moderator), New York, NY
R. Blake Chisam, Esq., Paul Hastings, Atlanta, GA
Mary Meg McCarthy, Esq., Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center, Chicago, IL
Andrew Morton, Esq., Latham & Watkins, Washington, DC
Chris Nugent, Esq., Director, ABA Immigration Pro Bono Development Project, Washington, DC
Andrew Painter, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Washington, DC
Pradeep Singla, Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force, New York, NY
David J. Venturella, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Washington, DC