Immigration and Human Rights Practice

UEI is proud to announce its first established practice at our think tank, the Immigration and Human Rights (IHR) Practice. The first of its kind at UEI, this practice will feature critical research, scholarship, writing, policy work, and direct engagement with the changing landscape of immigration, sanctuary legislation, and citizenship around the world.

Leadership

The IHR Practice is spearheaded by engaged scholars and policy researchers from UEI. Their existing work captures critical discussions about immigration policy, global migration, and questions about citizenship around the world:

Executive Director — Ishaan Barrett, Founding President and Managing Partner (specialties: US Immigration Policy; Federal, State, and City-wide Immigration Policy)

Practice Member — Faith Heffernan, Senior Partner (specialities: Refugee and Forced Migration, Urban Planning, MENA Regional Studies, Art History).

IHR Research and Working Papers

Immigration Executive Order Analysis Database

This page tracks and documents the ongoing executive orders (EOs) from the Trump Administraiton that impact immigration, migration, and human rights. This page will be updated regularly with new EOs at the bottom (chronologically) and older EOs at the top.

The Urban Equity InstituteThe Urban Equity Institute

The Laken Riley Act (S.5): Policy Analysis

This legislative summary and analysis of the Laken Riley Act (S.5) from the 119th Congress provides a general overview and quick dive into the language and implications of this new immigration-focused Senate bill.

The Urban Equity InstituteThe Urban Equity Institute

TO BE RELEASED: Constitutionality and legal coverage: unpacking questions of legality within the new Trump administration's immigration executive orders and policies (from the White House and Congress).

TO BE RELEASED: Comparative immigration studies: contrasting immigration policy and approaches between the US and the UK through focused research, reporting, and commentary.

Featured From UEI

The Impacts of Mass Migration: Case Study of the 2011 Somalia Famine

Using the 2011 Somalia famine as a case study, this essay explores the benefits and risks of migration, providing an overview of the famine and analyzing its implications for affected societies.

The Urban Equity InstituteFaith Heffernan

The Language of Temporary Architecture, Immigration, Migration, and Asylum at Candler HERRC: Arabic and Spanish Linguistic Pragmatics in Translation

This paper will explore the nature of ephemeral urban spaces with special attention to the physical, linguistic, and political barriers that complexify the asylum and migrant experience for new arrivals in New York.

The Urban Equity InstituteIshaan Barrett

Engaged Scholarship

Work published by practice directors and contributors at other outlets and publications will be included here.

Ishaan Barrett “Immigration Reform and Humanitarian Parole: Opening Pathways to Alternative Entry and Empowering the Sanctuary City,” Columbia Political Journal, April 2025, [pages pending].