Episode 189: Immigration Part II
We have heard from a member of Congress and a Dreamer on immigration for this series. Now to give us the nuts and bolts on immigration-from who is immigrating, how they are immigrating, to who are the “deciders” when it comes to immigration, and is there an actual “line” to become a citizen, L. Joy brings noted immigration attorney Allen Orr Jr. to the front of the class.
Homework:
Reach out to your representative in Congress. Ask them about their stance on immigration and whether or not they will support the US Citizenship Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1177/text
Talk to the people in your community about immigration and how immigrants positively help and grow communities.
Our Guest:
Allen Orr has more than 25 years of experience in advocacy on various civil rights and important human rights issues. On immigration-specific matters, he has met with the United States Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and various members of Congress, regarding policies and practice. He is proud to be an advocate for immigration reform, election rights protection, and racial and gender civil rights issues. Allen is an active member of the election protection telephone bank for national and local elections.
Born in Valdosta, he attended Lowndes High School, where he found his passion for debate. Following high school, he enrolled at Morehouse College, obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 1995. He followed that up by enrolling at Washington, DC’s prestigious Howard University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree.
After working for the world’s largest law firm in the global immigration department for over a decade, Allen established Orr Immigration Law Firm PC, a minority-owned firm based in Washington, DC. The firm focuses on United States corporate compliance as well as global corporate representation and assistance on immigration issues. Clients of Orr Immigration include Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, oil companies, law firms, and a variety of minority businesses.
Allen Orr Jr. is the first African American and the first same-gender loving person elected to a national office of the American Immigration Lawyer Association, a bar association with more than 14,000 members. He is the president of AILA.
