Border Policy and Politics

LAW9331
Section 1, Fall 24

Schedule Information

Enrollment: 18/19
Credits: 3
Days Time Room Start Date End Date

Tue

 		1130-1330 WB114 08/27/2024 12/03/2024

Course Description

This course will explore the main issues and challenges faced by asylum seekers at the US-Mexican border. We will focus particularly on relatively recent changes to US immigration policy such as metering, the Migrant Protection Protocols, and Title 42. We will investigate geopolitical relationships such as those between the United States and Guatemala that have dictated both governmental response and individual migration decisions. And most significantly, we will dive into the migration experiences of people attempting to seek asylum at the Mexican border: how they interact with legal and political systems during their journey to the United States; how they are processed, detained, and released upon arrival; and how recent administrative decisions have impacted those aspects of their migration. We will contextualize the migration process of individuals at the US-Mexico border within the broader narrative of global immigration crises in an effort to understand one of the most challenging and critical human rights issues we face.

Course Requirements

Exam Information

Final Type (if any): None

Description: None

Written Work Product

Students will be required to submit a paper via EXPO by noon (EST) on December 18th (day before last day of exam period). Students who do not need the credits in the course to meet their Prof. Skills graduation requirement may seek to satisfy their upper-level writing requirement with the paper in this course. To do so, however, such students must submit a completed Writing Requirement "Special Request" Form to the Student Records Office by October 1. The form and instructions for submitting it are available via LawWeb.

Other Course Details

Prerequisites: Because the credits in this course count toward the JD Program Professional Skills requirement, JD candidates will be given enrollment priority for this class. Concurrencies: None

Exclusive With: None

Laptops Allowed: Yes

First Day Attendance Required: No

Course Resources: To be announced.

Course Notes: This course will be taught primarily as a discussion, guided by readings and an awareness of current events related to events occurring at the US-Mexico border as well as relating to immigrants in our own community. We will also rely on simulations throughout the course, including a simulation of the immigration process and a simulation credible fear interview preparation session. Discussions will be based on the assigned readings for each class. Grades will be determined by a paper at the end of the semester (75%) and class participation (25%).

Graduation Requirements

Satisfies Understanding Bias/Racism/Cross-Cultural Competency requirement: Yes

Satisfies Writing Requirement: No

Credits For Prof. Skills Requirement: Yes

Satisfies Professional Ethics: No

Additional Course Information

Schedule No.: 124818099

Modified Type: Simulation

Cross Listed: No

Waitlist Count: 0

Concentrations: Human Rights and Civil Liberties , International and National Security Law

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Opens: Sunday, December 01, 12:01 AM

Evaluation Portal Via LawWeb Closes: Friday, December 06, 11:59 PM

Information reflected on this page was last refreshed at: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 - 7:04 AM *

*During open enrollment periods, live enrollment data may be found in SIS.