CAIR-Chicago Governmental Relations Coordinator Sadiya Ahmed and Governmental Relations Intern Erin Hartnett attended the University of Chicago Legal Forum's Immigration Law and Policy Symposium on October 27th and 28th, 2006. The Symposium consisted of four separate panels comprised of law professors from across the country, addressing issues of criminalization, assimilation, employment, and institutional competency in immigration law. Each professor presented and answered questions on a paper he/she wrote for the 2007 volume of the Forum's journal.

On Friday night, there was a keynote address given by Julie Meyers, the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Although the audience was given the opportunity to ask Meyers about hot-button topics such as asylum status, detainment policies and other immigration enforcement procedures, she refrained from answering questions she felt were outside the scope of her office.

The Governmental Relations department has been active in the immigration dialogue, and attended the Symposium to hear analysis of the latest laws and policies. "Immigration is one of the key issues in this election, and it is important that we follow the fast-paced debate closely," Ahmed said.

For more information or to contact Sadiya Ahmed, email gov.relations@cairchicago.org.

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