The UC Berkeley Criminal Law & Justice Center’s Immigration Liberation Project provides legal representation to immigrants in federal detention, helping them secure relief through habeas proceedings. This project launched in Fall 2025, and the practicum and seminar has been successful. The project will continue in Spring 2026 as the Advanced Immigration Liberation Project: Representation in Detention Proceeding (Spring 2026).
The Immigration Liberation Practicum gives students hands-on experience with federal litigation and provides real-world application of legal concepts through client representation, case management, evidence collection, and persuasive legal writing. CLJC works in collaboration with immigrant rights advocates across the country to conduct outreach, strategize, and meet the needs of the immigrant community. The project also tracks outcomes to measure impact, identifies systemic issues for potential litigation, and collects research for scholarly publication, combining direct legal services with educational opportunities to advance immigration justice.