Thread by @sshermanstokes

Excited to release our latest @BU_Law #immigrants' rights & human trafficking #clinic report on the Institutional Hearing Program ("IHP"), a little known program that quickly, and quietly, #deports noncitizens convicted of crimes. THREAD 1/

bu.edu/law/files/2022…

For more than 40 years, IHP has been operating in the shadows, yet another branch of the vast #ICE #enforcement regime. IHP operates at least across 19 states, #deporting noncitizens who are unlikely to be represented by counsel. 2/

Our report is a snapshot of how this little studied program operates to swiftly deport #immigrants across New England. Here's some of what we found. 3/

Noncitizens in IHP face a host of serious issues that impair the fairness of the proceeding. Of the hearings we observed, more than half of respondents were facing #deportation without an #attorney. 4/

Over a 6 month period, more than half of the respondents we observed in #court proceedings were ordered #deported. Nationally, that figure is even worse: 93% between 1998-2019. 5/

We also interviewed "participants" in IHP - a misnomer, as many of them had no idea what IHP was, or what it meant to be subjected to it. Here is some of what we heard. 6/

The stories we heard were devastating. This report aims to build on the work of others, including scholars like @Ingrid_Eagly, to shine a light on the experiences of those in IHP & the ways in which the #immigration & #criminal systems conspire to harm them. 7/

Incredibly grateful to my hardworking students, @findingrhythm48, Geoffrey Kazlow and Leah Hastings, for their consistent and critical work on this report. And to the brave individuals who shared their stories with us. Thank you for reading, & for helping to amplify their voices.