The Berkeley Law Anti-Trafficking Project (BATPro) participates in the ongoing fight against human trafficking through research and writing, as well as through community outreach and education programs.
The Berkeley Law Anti-Trafficking Project (BATPro) engages in this work under the supervision of attorneys at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Tentative projects for the 2023-2024 school year are listed below:
- Practice advisory on new asylum ban and survivors – This is a project that would explore the effect of the May 11, 2023 “Lawful Pathways Rule,” also known as the Biden administration’s asylum ban on survivors of trafficking. The resulting practice advisory would explore the effect of the ban on survivors who are seeking asylum, and how the exception to the ban for survivors of trafficking can be met at the initial credible fear stage as well as the merits hearing. Another possible area to explore will be the importance of relief like the T visa for survivors who are unable to overcome the ban and are barred from asylum.
- Materials on the Central American Minors (CAM) program and survivors – This project has two possible components. The first would be a resource focused on the CAM program as an immigration option for young people who are survivors of trafficking in Central America. In many cases, they would be ineligible for a T visa if they cannot demonstrate the requisite U.S. physical presence given that the trafficking occurred outside the United States. A second component would be a community facing resource alerting survivors in the community to the April 2023 enhancements to the CAM program, notably the inclusion of a pending T visa application as a basis for a parent or legal guardian to file for CAM.
- Community alerts on the upcoming U, T, S visa amendments – Bill AB 1261 currently pending before the California legislature would strengthen the state’s existing U visa and T visa protections. If the bill is passed it will increase access to certifications for these forms of relief. The project would be a community-facing resource outlining these changes for affected community members.
Supervision: Students in BATPro provide legal services under the supervision of attorneys at Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
Time Commitment: Time commitment, including training, varies by project assignments and team capacity. Some projects may only require approximately 10-15 hours per semester, while others may require 20-25 hours per semester. Flexibility exists in assigning projects, and if someone expresses an interest in a lower time commitment, we can accommodate
For more information, please contact the student leaders at BATPro@law.berkeley.edu.