Inside the Work of an Immigration Attorney with Zainab Khan | Tiny Pulpit Talks: 062
In this episode of Tiny Pulpit Talks, Rev. T. J. FitzGerald sits down with Zainab Khan, Managing Attorney of the Immigration Detention Project at Texas A&M University School of Law, for a conversation about immigration detention, faith, and justice.
Zainab explains how attorneys are using federal habeas petitions to challenge prolonged immigration detention, why outcomes vary across Texas courts, and the kinds of cases her team is seeing under current immigration policies. Drawing on her experience as a former federal public defender and the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she shares what called her to this work and how her Muslim faith sustains her in the face of injustice.
Together, they explore the role of advocacy, the importance of hope, and how ordinary people can help support immigrants navigating an increasingly difficult legal system.
Topics include:
Immigration detention and habeas petitions
Changes to bond hearings under current immigration policy
Faith in the face of injustice
Immigration law in Texas
How attorneys and volunteers can get involved
Links:
Donation towards the project through DAI (make sure to put “IDP” in the dedication section when donating)
Submit a request for habeas assistance
Volunteer as a non-attorney with IDP
Volunteer as an attorney with IDP by emailing Zainab
About Zainab Khan:
Zainab Khan serves as the Managing Attorney for the Immigration Detention Project that is funded by Dallas Area Interfaith and housed in the Texas A&M University School of Law Legal Clinic. The Immigration Detention Project helps eligible detainees seek release form immigration detention, whether through bond hearings in immigration court or habeas petitions in federal court. Prior to joining Texas A&M Law, Ms. Khan was a federal public defender, first in the Southern District of California, and most recently in the Northern District of Texas, defending the rights of the accused. Before that, she was a fellow at the Muslim Legal Fund of America, where she worked on criminal cases and civil rights cases affecting Muslim Americans. Ms. Khan is a graduate of the Southern Methodist University School of Law and the University of Texas at Dallas.
Tiny Pulpit Talks is a podcast series from First Unitarian Church of Dallas that takes a behind-the-scenes look at ministry from a Unitarian Universalist perspective. This is a rare opportunity to see what goes into crafting meaningful and inspirational sermons, learn how worship comes together each Sunday, and explore the many facets of spiritual leadership. Subscribe to get updates about new episodes here on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
