Immigration during the Trump administration: DePaul University experts discuss what’s next

CHICAGO — Three weeks into his second term in office, President Donald Trump and his administration have moved quickly on immigration policies related to refugees, asylum seekers, the borders with Mexico and Canada, and undocumented immigrants. DePaul University experts are available to discuss what’s next and how decisions made by the Trump administration are affecting immigrants, migrants and asylum seekers as well as individuals who work with those communities. Media can contact experts directly or email [email protected] for assistance.

Kathleen Arnold
Director, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; Faculty member in Political Science
[email protected]
Kathleen Arnold works closely with the immigrant and refugee community and has both academic expertise and practical knowledge about the new administration’s policies and their implications for resident and arriving foreigners. She has appeared in the media several times over the past few years, including MSNBC in 2024, analyzing migration policy; explaining sanctuary ordinances and their constitutional foundation; and explaining specific country conditions in countries from which refugees flee (e.g. Venezuela, Ukraine). She is the author of six books and multiple articles and chapters on the subject.

Maria Joy Ferrera
Associate Professor of Social Work
[email protected]
As a licensed clinical social worker, Maria Joy Ferrera conducts pro-bono mental health forensic asylum assessments for The Midwest Human Rights Consortium. She is also co-founder and co-chair of The Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health, co-director of the Center for Community Health Equity and on the steering committee of the DePaul Migration Collaborative. Ferrera can discuss the work of these organizations and the mental health toll on undocumented immigrants and those seeking asylum.

James Fujimoto
Clinical Adjunct Instructor & Senior Practitioner in Residence, Asylum & Immigration Law Clinic
[email protected]
James Fujimoto served on the bench of the Chicago Immigration Court from 1990 to 2019, before joining DePaul. He’s available to speak with journalists about the immigration and asylum process, and the challenges facing nonprofits and attorneys serving immigrant populations. While on the bench, he was an officer with the National Association of Immigration Judges and frequently spoke at conferences hosted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the Federal Bar Association and other professional organizations. At DePaul, he provides substantive law and skills training to attorneys, Department of Justice accredited representatives and legal staff of immigrant-serving nonprofits with whom the Asylum & Immigration Law Clinic partners.

Craig B. Mousin
Faculty, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Program, Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, College of Law
[email protected]
Craig B. Mousin teaches refugee and immigration law at the College of Law. Mousin can discuss asylum law and international refugee law with a particular emphasis on the consequences of religious persecution and remedies available to persons seeking asylum and safe haven. He is a member of the Leadership Council of the National Immigrant Justice Center and a former president and board member of the Immigration Project of downstate Illinois.

Xavier Perez
Faculty member in Criminology
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Co-founder of DePaul’s Criminology Department, Xavier Perez can speak on the criminalization of immigrants, immigration as a political wedge issue, the root causes of crime, violence prevention, and community violence. He researches the relationship between police and minority communities, prison education, and mass incarceration. Perez shared his insights as a guest on the “Can We Please Talk?” podcast, where he discussed challenges facing the Latinx community.

Shailja Sharma
Professor of International Studies [email protected]
Shailja Sharma can speak about the changes around migration and asylum and the causes and effects of U.S. policy. Sharma co-founded the DePaul Migration Collaborative and directed DePaul’s Refugee and Forced Migration Studies program from 2015-21. Sharma can discuss migration patterns, why asylum seekers are coming to the U.S.; sanctuary cities; resources required to settle forcibly displaced migrants; and what major cities, including Chicago, are currently doing to help migrants. Her 2024 op-ed in the Chicago Tribune details potential solutions to U.S.-Mexico border issues.

Rose Spalding
Vincent de Paul Professor of Political Science [email protected]
Rose Spalding is available to comment on President Donald Trump’s policies toward and interactions with Latin American countries, including Mexico and Central America regarding immigration, climate change and democracy. Spalding is the author of author of “Breaking Ground: From Extraction Booms to Mining Bans in Latin America.”

Shana Wills
Part-Time Faculty, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Program
[email protected]
Shana Wills is the founder and board president of Refugee Education & Adventure Challenge, an organization that works with refugee youth ages 10-18 and provides academic, leadership and social-emotional learning support and outdoor education opportunities. She can discuss the effect of migration on families, adolescents and children; needs refugees will have upon arriving in Chicago; how the U.S. refugee program works and trouble spots within the program; why it’s a moral imperative to give Afghans refuge in the U.S.; and groups doing refugee work in Chicago.

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