Susan Beaty

The Project

Susan worked to expand legal representation and resources for incarcerated immigrants facing deportation while in prison through direct representation, policy advocacy, and coalition building.

Incarcerated immigrants in the Institutional Hearing Program (IHP) are overlooked and underserved—just 9 percent have attorneys and there are no legal outreach programs at any IHP sites in the country. Without guidance or support, most people in the IHP simply accept deportation, and the few who choose to fight their cases often face a violation of their due process rights. IHP hearings are conducted via video teleconference or in makeshift courtrooms inside of prisons, and facility policies severely impede representation. The IHP program currently adds over 5,000 new cases annually.

Fellowship Highlights

During the two-year Fellowship period, Susan:

• Consulted and provided legal advice to over 150 people in the IHP at FCI Dublin before their initial hearings, and represented these individuals in their initial hearings
• Provided full-scope representation to 12 people in their removal proceedings
• Advocated to Bureau of Prisons and ICE about conditions of confinement on behalf of dozens of people
• Collaborated with a coalition of community organizations and pro bono attorneys to examine the policies and practices of the IHP at FCI Dublin and pushed for reforms

Next Steps

Following the Fellowship, Susan has stayed on at Centro Legal de la Raza as a staff attorney in the Abolishing ICE Detention Project, representing incarcerated immigrants and supporting organizing to end the immigration detention system.

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