CENTER FOR

IMMIGRATION LAW, POLICY AND JUSTICE

The Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice

The CILPJ at Rutgers University explores contemporary and historical immigration and citizenship laws to better understand the complex ways that law and society determine who belongs in the United States. Through interdisciplinary scholarship, legal, policy and advocacy-based initiatives and public engagement, the CILPJ explores and supports the adoption of equitable and more inclusive laws, regulations, policies, and practices for all people – citizens and non-citizens alike.

Research

The CILPJ engages in legal and policy research to examine ways that immigration and citizenship laws define rights and privileges of immigrants and their families. It also highlights the scholarships of CILPJ faculty that explore questions of immigration and citizenship laws and policies.

Recent News

NJ ‘Iimmigrant trust’ directive affects number of deportations

NEWARK – The state directive limiting cooperation by New Jersey police agencies with federal enforcement of civil immigration violations slightly reduced the number of people going from jails to federal custody and deportation though isn’t being followed consistently, says a new report out of Rutgers Law School. A study released at a Tuesday symposium said the number of removals of unauthorized immigrants through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was down slightly in 2020 for people with the most serious convictions and basically level for people without them. There was a notable decline in removals through the Secure Communities fingerprint and […]

Center for Immigration Law Director Prof. Rose Cuison-Villazor will be testifying before the NJ Assembly in support of A4225 and remove immigration status as a barrier to getting professional licenses in NJ

My name is Rose Cuison-Villazor and I am the Vice-Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School in Newark and I teach, research and write about immigration law.  I am also the founding Director of the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice.  The Center for Immigration Law explores and supports the adoption of equitable and more inclusive laws, regulations, policies, and practices for all people, citizens and non-citizens alike.

DACA Victory!

We at the Center for Immigration Law, Policy and Justice (“Center for Immigration Law”) are extremely pleased with the Supreme Court’s opinion on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).  In Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of California, 591 U.S. __ (2020), the majority of the Supreme Court held that the federal government’s rescission of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious.”  It recognized that DACA was a policy that did more than provide deferred action, but also provided benefits such as allowing DACA recipients to work.  By arbitrarily revoking DACA, the federal government failed to consider DACA recipients’ legitimate reliable interests on the policy.   This historic […]