Impact

Penn State Law immigration clinic joins national movement to welcome immigrants

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Law’s Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, led by Professor Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, recently joined Welcoming America as the organization’s first collegiate member.

Welcoming America helps communities across the country reach their full economic and social potential by becoming more welcoming toward immigrants. Welcoming America brings together a broad network of nonprofits and local governments from across the U.S. and strengthens their work with the know-how, tools and incentives they need to transform their communities into vibrant, prosperous places where all residents can contribute. Other members in Pennsylvania include Allegheny County, the cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and York, and the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians.

After watching a Ted Talk by the executive director of Welcoming America, and researching its work and mission, Wadhia knew that Welcoming America would bring the important work already being done in the clinic on immigration issues together with the local government and community.

“We are changing the conversation in the State College community, replacing misinformation with accurate information and a deeper understanding for immigration law and policy,” said Wadhia, who also serves as the Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar at Penn State Law. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but this membership moves us one step closer to becoming a more welcoming community for immigrants and refugees, and allows us to learn from other members in the network who are working toward the same goals.”

Each year in September, Welcoming America and its partners across the country host events that celebrate the benefits of building welcoming communities, and bring together immigrants and U.S.-born community members in a spirit of unity through service projects and other events during Welcoming Week. This year’s events will be held Sept. 16-25, and the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic plans to celebrate Welcoming Week by hosting an event in University Park. More details on the clinic’s event will be available on the clinic’s community webpage as they are finalized.

Law professor and expert on immigration policy Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated August 25, 2016