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Justice in action: How MSU’s Immigration Law Clinic balances education and advocacy

Release Date
2026-02-02
Media
https://statenews.com/article/2026/02/justice-in-action-how-msu-s-immigration-law-clinic-balances-education-and-advocacy
Summary
For more than 15 years, the Immigration Law Clinic at Michigan State University has provided free legal services to vulnerable immigrant populations, including abused and neglected children, victims of crime and trafficking, and people fleeing persecution. Founded in 2010 by law professors David and Veronica Thornson, the clinic allows second- and third-year law students to earn academic credit by representing real clients under close attorney supervision.

Unlike private law firms, the clinic has no profit motive, enabling students and faculty to focus on careful, high-quality representation in complex and often life-or-death cases. Through hands-on work, students learn how immigration law is deeply interconnected, constantly changing, and far more challenging in practice than in the classroom.

The clinic has operated amid growing fear and uncertainty caused by shifting immigration policies, particularly under the Trump administrations. The Thornsons describe current enforcement as more random than in past administrations, meaning many people detained have lived in the U.S. for years, lack criminal records, and have strong legal defenses. Travel bans and embassy closures have also disrupted approved family reunification cases and affected students and faculty with immigrant backgrounds.

In response to heightened enforcement concerns, the clinic educates the campus and community about legal rights, distributes multilingual “red cards,” and explains the limits of sanctuary policies, emphasizing that local governments and universities cannot block federal enforcement but are not required to assist it. The professors stress the importance of remaining calm, responding lawfully, and seeking legal guidance.

Both Thornsons criticize the broader public debate on immigration as poorly informed and emphasize the clinic’s educational mission: learning by doing, correcting misinformation, and preparing future lawyers to understand how immigration law profoundly affects individuals, families, and communities.
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United States of America

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