The Fulbright Scholar Leads Binational Webinar Series on Refugee and Migrant Protection Amid Shifting Immigration Policies
Webinar Series Information: Topics, experts, and links to attend
David C. Baluarte, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
David C. Baluarte, CUNY Law’s Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, is launching the next phase of a vital binational webinar series that builds on his 2023 Fulbright scholarship work in Mexico City. The series, titled “U.S.-Mexico Clinical Collaboration: Protection of Refugees and Migrants in the Second Trump Administration,” leverages Baluarte’s extensive experience in transnational refugee protection and clinical legal education to address urgent developments in the U.S.-Mexico immigration policy.
During his 2023 Fulbright at Iberoamericana University (IBERO) in Mexico City, Baluarte developed crucial partnerships with Mexico’s leading refugee law clinic, while establishing frameworks to enhance clinical legal education in the country. This work has taken on renewed significance and urgency as the U.S. enters a new era of immigration policymaking under the second Trump administration.
“The intersection of U.S. and Mexican immigration policies creates complex challenges for asylum seekers and lawyers on both sides of the border,” says Baluarte. “This webinar series provides a forum for dialogue and strategic coordination among clinical faculty and students, as we anticipate rapid policy shifts and work to protect the rights of refugees and migrants.”
The monthly series, conducted in Spanish and occurring from February to May 2025, brings together clinical faculty from Mexico and the United States for a critical exchange on the shifting landscape of immigration policy. Webinar topics will encompass anticipated changes in U.S. immigration policies under the second Trump administration, strategic litigation responses, border and interior enforcement approaches, and comparative analysis of refugee protection mechanisms.
Baluarte’s leadership of the series builds upon his extensive experience in the field and in clinical legal education. His previous Fulbright work in Argentina, studying stateless populations, and role in founding the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Washington and Lee University School of Law, inform his approach to the collaboration. Now at CUNY Law, Baluarte’s work aligns with the Law School’s commitment to engaged scholarship that bridges academic excellence with practical impact and advances its social justice mission.
“Responding to this political moment demands understanding of the interlocking legal frameworks that govern migrant and refugee rights,” Baluarte explains. “When policies shift, the impact on people’s lives is immediate and profound. Through this collaboration, we aim to build the capacity of practitioners and students on both sides of the border to meet these urgent challenges.”
For more information about the webinar series, contact Dean Baluarte at david.baluarte@law.cuny.edu.