March Removal Defense Webinar: Convention against Torture Claims – How to Fight for CAT Protection

National Immigration Project March Removal Defense Webinar: 

Convention against Torture Claims–How to Fight for CAT Protection and Why It Matters

Thursday, March 19, 2026

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (ET) / 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (PT)

90 minutes of instruction (1.50 CLE credits)

Zoom Webinar

Program Description

In 2025, the Board of Immigration Appeals issued more than ten precedential decisions finding that noncitizens were not more likely than not to be tortured in their home countries. With this conscious effort by the agency to limit eligibility for this critical protection, it is more important than ever for practitioners to understand the nuances of Convention against Torture (CAT) jurisprudence and how to build a strong agency record for federal appeals. Guest speakers, SangYeob Kim and Chelsea Eddy, from the New Hampshire ACLU have litigated numerous CAT cases in the First Circuit and will discuss the state of the law there. This training will cover the elements of CAT claims, BIA precedent, and how the First Circuit has interpreted CAT to provide robust protections to those facing torture in their country of feared removal. The trainers will also talk about strategies to address third country removal and pretermission. 

During this webinar, the faculty will discuss:

• Elements of CAT;

• First Circuit decisions addressing CAT protection;

• Recent BIA case law narrowing CAT protection;

• Making a strong immigration court record for potential federal appeal;

• Strategies to fight third country removal;

• Using CAT claims to fight immigration court pretermission.

Faculty

Chelsea Eddy, Legal Fellow, New Hampshire Immigrants' Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire

SangYeob Kim, Director, New Hampshire Immigrants' Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire

Victoria Neilson, Supervising Attorney, National Immigration Project

CLE Credits 

An application for 1.50 CLE credits is pending with the Washington State Bar Association, and the State Bar of Texas has approved this webinar for 1.50 CLE credits. 

Uniform Certificates of Attendance will be available for attorneys to request CLE credits in other states. The National Immigration Project is also prepared to provide proof of attendance upon request. Registrants are responsible for any fees incurred in seeking CLE credit outside of Texas or Washington. 

This CLE is hosted and sponsored by the National Immigration Project. 

Registration Fees 

• $75.00  -  General Admission
• $40.00  -  National Immigration Project Members
• $20.00  -  Student (For student discounts, please email us at events@nipnlg.org.)

Questions? 

Please send inquiries about the CLE to events@nipnlg.org.