Professor Jennifer Koh Quoted in "Deportation Fears Rise Among Undocumented Asians in Southern California as Policies Shift" -- Orange County Register

Professor Jennifer Lee Koh is quoted in the Orange County Register article, "Deportation Fears Rise Among Undocumented Asians in Southern California as Policies Shift." The article considers the case of Duc, a Vietnamese refugee brought to the United States as an infant in the 1980s, who now faces deportation to Vietnam.

Excerpt from "Deportation Fears Rise Among Undocumented Asians in Southern California as Policies Shift"

Jennifer Koh, who teaches immigration law at Pepperdine Law and focuses her research on immigration enforcement, said Duc's case is far from unique.

"There are many cases along those lines ... including people who came as young children, people who came as refugees," Koh said. "Green card holders facing deportation after having completed their criminal sentences is really experienced by many people as a double punishment."

Under immigration laws signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, legal residents convicted of certain crimes can be deported even if they've lived in the U.S. for decades.

"When people are convicted of an offense and they serve their time, the legal system has determined that they satisfied their sentence," Koh said.

"Then it really raises hard questions about whether it makes sense to impose this additional distinction on them," said Koh, "especially when they haven't lived in their country of origin for a long time."

The complete article may be found at Orange Country Register (subscription required)