{"id":61385,"date":"2019-08-27T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T13:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?p=61385"},"modified":"2021-03-24T09:17:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T13:17:27","slug":"v-starrett-in-defense-of-immigrants","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2019\/v-starrett-in-defense-of-immigrants\/","title":{"rendered":"In Defense of Immigrants"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin record-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-wider has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-primary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"450\" height=\"600\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/V-Starrett.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"V Starrett (&#039;12)\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/V-Starrett.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/V-Starrett-258x344.jpg 258w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/V-Starrett-397x529.jpg 397w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photo by Edward Carreon for BU Photography<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Alumni<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn Defense of Immigrants\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">As an immigration and criminal law attorney, V Starrett (\u201912) advocates for immigrants who come into contact with the criminal justice system.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar record-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">August 27, 2019<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/authors\/rebecca-beyer\/\">Rebecca Beyer<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>In July, V Starrett (\u201912) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2019-07-16\/cbp-denies-marine-corps-veteran-entry-for-citizenship-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">was photographed with a client<\/a>\u2014a Belize-native and former US Marine\u2014who had been turned away at the US-Mexico border after attempting to attend a citizenship interview in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The client, Roman Sabal, joined the US military using fraudulent identification. After he was honorably discharged, he was deported. Now, he can\u2019t get back into the country to try to become a citizen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was one of Starrett\u2019s least controversial cases. Starrett recently joined the Office of the Ventura County Public Defender in California where they serve as an immigration specialist trying to help mitigate potential immigration consequences for people who have been accused of crimes. Such guidance is required under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/case-files\/cases\/padilla-v-commonwealth-of-kentucky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Padilla v. Kentucky<\/em><\/a>, a 2010 US Supreme Court decision holding that defense attorneys must inform noncitizens clients about how their criminal case might affect their immigration status. It\u2019s a familiar role for Starrett, who started the immigration unit at the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County and also provided <em>Padilla<\/em> advice as a staff attorney at the Brooklyn Defender Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sabal, whom Starrett represented as an attorney on Public Counsel\u2019s Deported Veterans Legal Services Project, has no criminal convictions, previously served as a Marine and US Army Reservist for several years, and has two US citizen children with a US citizen partner he eventually plans to marry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starrett says they \u201chave complicated feelings around\u201d the publicity surrounding Sabal\u2019s case (which was covered by several media outlets), adding that they try to avoid the dichotomy of the \u201cbad immigrant\u201d and the \u201cgood immigrant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think that a criminal conviction should bar someone from being able to stay in this country, but I do think that Roman\u2019s case is a good starting point because it brings in more people,\u201d they say. \u201cYou get more people invested\u201d in the cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with veterans\u2014who generally, like Sabal, used fake identification to enlist or whose temporary immigration status expired while they served\u2014was particularly \u201cheartbreaking,\u201d Starrett says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey took an oath to join the military about risking their lives, which is almost identical to the one you would take to naturalize,\u201d they say. \u201cThen, they\u2019re ostracized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote record-block-bu-pullquote alignwide is-style- has-image-focus-center-middle has-primary-theme\"><div class=\"wp-block-bu-pullquote-inner\"><figure><\/figure><blockquote><div class=\"container-lockup\"><div class=\"container-icon-outer\"><div class=\"container-icon-inner\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"container-text\"><hr\/><div class=\"quote-sizing\">Immigration affects so much of people\u2019s lives. If you can help someone fix that, you can set them on a trajectory to reach their full potential.<\/div><footer class=\"caption\">V Starrett (&#8217;12)<\/footer><hr\/><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Starrett always knew they wanted to be an attorney; growing up in Las Vegas, they attended a magnet high school for law-related careers. At BU Law, Starrett participated in Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/susan-m-akram\/\">Susan M. Akram&#8217;s<\/a>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/experiential-learning\/clinics\/international-human-rights-clinic\/\">International Human Rights Clinic<\/a> and interned at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. But they ultimately felt they could make more of a difference representing individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe semester abroad really highlighted for me that there is a lot of work to be done in the United States,\u201d they say. \u201cIn the immigration system, you can represent an individual person or family and actually make a significant impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starrett says they were drawn to criminal immigration work\u2014also known as \u201ccrimmigration\u201d\u2014because traditional immigrants\u2019 rights organizations often have to pick clients who won\u2019t offend their funders in any way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe already know that brown and Black folks are criminalized at higher rates, that undocumented folks are criminalized at higher rates, that queer and trans folks are criminalized at higher rates,\u201d they say. \u201cSo, to be excluded from traditional models of representation leaves this particular group the most marginalized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working on immigration as a public defender means \u201cthose specific people who are not politically palatable are going to be my clients,\u201d Starrett says. \u201cAnd I love every single one of my clients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starrett, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/features\/2019-03-21\/trans-people-describe-discrimination-support-in-the-workplace\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">identifies as nonbinary trans<\/a>, can relate to their LGBTQIA+ clients on a personal level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really special to be able to connect with a client around our gender experiences,\u201d they say. \u201cAt least they know I understand some small part of their life. It allows for a little more trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Immigration has become a major flash point in the current political climate, but Starrett says there are always challenges representing immigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn some ways, [Trump] is highlighting the injustices that have always existed,\u201d they say. \u201cPeople didn\u2019t realize because they didn\u2019t have to. They think, \u2018Obama is president; everything is fine.\u2019 Under Trump, there are no illusions. Everything is in upheaval, which makes our jobs really difficult. We can give advice on what the law is today, and tomorrow the attorney general could rewrite it, which is what they\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Starrett says they learned at BU Law that resolving people\u2019s immigration issues can change their lives. They still keep in touch with their first asylum client\u2014a \u201cLost Boy\u201d from Sudan\u2014whom Starrett helped obtain a green card. They recently heard the client was engaged and in touch with his family, whom he hadn\u2019t seen in years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">\u201cImmigration affects so much of people\u2019s lives,\u201d Starrett says. \u201cIf you can help someone fix that, you can set them on a trajectory to reach their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories is-style-card has-three record-block-editorial-relatedstories\">\n\t\t<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-title\">Related<\/h3>\n\t\t<ul class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Birds on a wire\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales-636x424.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales-500x334.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/08\/birds-on-a-wire-photo-by-melanie-morales-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Immigration Law<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2019\/fleeing-gang-violence-clients-win-asylum-with-help-of-bu-law-students\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Fleeing Gang Violence, Clients Win Asylum with Help of BU Law Students<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">August 21, 2019<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"700\" height=\"450\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/Map-Central-America.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Map of Central America\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/Map-Central-America.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/Map-Central-America-636x409.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/Map-Central-America-500x321.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Experiential Education<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2019\/seeking-answers-for-families-of-disappeared-migrants\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">Seeking Answers for Families of Disappeared Migrants<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">June 25, 2019<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"700\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/person-in-jail.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Black and white photo of hands clutching the bars of a prison cell\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/person-in-jail.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/person-in-jail-636x363.jpg 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/files\/2019\/06\/person-in-jail-500x286.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-category\"><span>Criminal Law<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/record\/articles\/2019\/prosecutor-clinic-a-wider-view-of-justice\/\" class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-title-link\">A Wider View of Justice<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-relatedstories-article-date\">June 21, 2019<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As an immigration and criminal law attorney, V Starrett (\u201912) advocates for immigrants who come into contact with the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11260,"featured_media":70335,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Alumni","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[2219],"bu-publication":[3742],"record-article-category":[3744,3778,3768],"record-topic":[],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/61385"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11260"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61385"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/61385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78336,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/61385\/revisions\/78336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61385"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=61385"},{"taxonomy":"record-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-article-category?post=61385"},{"taxonomy":"record-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/record-topic?post=61385"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=61385"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=61385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}