Join SIHRLA (Stanford Immigration and Human Rights Law Association) for a timely and incisive conversation with Rebecca Sheff, Senior Staff Attorney from the ACLU of New Mexico and Professor Lucas Guttentag.

This event will explore the legal battles emerging from the new weaponization of invisible “National Defense Areas” that now cover 40 percent of the US-Mexico border. As the DOJ charges migrants with trespassing on unmarked military land, prosecutors are increasingly attempting to circumvent standard legal procedures to pursue convictions, even as local federal judges reject the frivolous charges. This discussion will examine how courts, government agencies, and advocates intersect in moments of extreme procedural overreach, and will offer concrete reflections on safeguarding rights, strengthening accountability, and defending the rule of law.