Our Pro Bono Clinic helped nine clients this month, with varying issues ranging from housing, divorce, immigration, and a noise complaint. Due to the number of volunteers who showed up, the June Manhattan Pro Bono Clinic offered consultations that extended beyond the standard 30 minute time frame for each client, ensuring that our volunteers could provide the best possible guidance for clients with thorny legal issues. For some cases, volunteers directed clients to AABANY’s legal referral and information service (LRIS), a resource that connects clients with qualified attorneys to represent them.
Thank you to all of our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic. We look forward to your participation in future clinics!
Volunteer Attorneys
Wendy Cheng
Keey Diep
Carmen Huang
Justin Lee
Beatrice Leong
Arthur Lin
Meng Ru
Gary Yeung
Anna Bao
Suzie Yu
Law Students and Other Volunteers
Wenwen Cao
Jason Chen
Clive Chong
Nandar Win Kerr
Wendy Zeng
Zhiyi Zhang
Livy Li
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
July 11 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30-3:00pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
July 15 (Manhattan link here], from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
August 5 (Queens link here], from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
If you are interested in supporting the work of the Clinic, we encourage you to make a donation to AALFNY. AALFNY supports the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee (PBCS), provides scholarships and internship opportunities for law students, and works with the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. Donations can be made here.
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the fundamental constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. In Trump v. Barbara, the Court found that Executive Order 14160, which sought to limit the scope of birthright citizenship, did not comply with the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the Court’s decision. It upheld what NAPABA has emphasized throughout the litigation: a constitutional right that the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community has understood and relied upon for nearly 130 years—ever since a young Chinese American fought for his birthright citizenship in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649 (1898). The Fourteenth Amendment promises every person equal treatment under the law and includes an equal claim of citizenship for persons born in the United States, regardless of the circumstances of their parents. EO 14160 attempted to upend that promise, and we are grateful that the Court invalidated it.
In three federal courts of appeals and in the Supreme Court, NAPABA led a nationwide coalition of its affiliates and national associates to defend birthright citizenship in this litigation. We underscored the significance of Wong Kim Ark, the crucial role of Asian Americans in shaping our nation’s immigration and civil rights jurisprudence, and the disproportionate impacts that EO 14160 would have on AANHPI communities. NAPABA highlighted how the congressional debates over the Fourteenth Amendment contemplated that the children of Chinese migrants, despite being heavily despised and vilified, would receive birthright citizenship. Lastly, we maintained that the federal government distorted the holding of Wong Kim Ark and created a faulty legal and historical analogy that Chinese migrants in the late 19th century were akin to today’s lawful permanent residents (i.e., green card holders).
NAPABA is thankful to its legal team for their exemplary work: Rahat N. Babar, who serves as NAPABA’s Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel, Edgar Chen, who serves as NAPABA’s Special Policy Advisor, Chris M. Kwok, who formerly served as co-chair of NAPABA’s Dispute Resolution Committee, and Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Wendy M. Feng, Owen Wolfe, and Lori Chen).
Rachel is the founding partner of Yoo Law Group, LLC, which specializes in immigration law, family mediation, and international dispute arbitration. In addition to her guidance in cross-border and mediation matters, she serves as the Co-Chair of the Asian American Bar Association of New York’s (AABANY) Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. Rachel is also General Counsel of the Asian & American Art Foundation, and Mediator with the New York County Supreme Court.
On this project, Rachel was invited to serve as a U.S. immigration adviser to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. Her involvement grew out of her immigration practice and prior work advising Korean artists and cultural organizations, including the Korean Cultural Center New York, on U.S. visa issues.
As an official contributor on matters related to U.S. immigration law, Rachel aided in examining how Korea’s institutional framework can be improved to better support the international mobility of artists.
Drawing on interviews and comparative policy analysis, the project uses insights from both Korea and major countries, surveying artists, agencies, and legal/administrative experts with direct experience navigating the visa process to evaluate Korea’s artist‑visa systems. By identifying key issues, strengths, and weaknesses across countries, the report proposes recommendations to strengthen Korea’s artist‑visa policies and promote smoother global artistic exchange.
For Rachel, the experience was particularly meaningful as it represented a continuation of her work in “bridging two legal systems and two cultural frameworks” and “broadened [her] perspective on how national‑level policy decisions shape the practical realities artists face,” something that strengthens her commitment to aiding her individual clients through U.S. immigration pathways.
Rachel’s work on this project is a testament to the impact that dedicated legal expertise can have beyond the courtroom in shaping policy, building bridges between nations, and advocating for the communities she serves. We are proud to have her as a valued member of AABANY, and please join AABANY in congratulating Rachel on this important achievement.
As Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage (AANHPI) Month wound down, attendees gathered on May 27, 2026 in downtown Manhattan to watch the latest historical trial reenactment produced by the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) entitled Born American: United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which established birthright citizenship as a Constitutional right in 1898, is AABANY’s 17th trial reenactment. This project brings to life notable cases involving Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, to spotlight significant ways that AANHPI individuals contributed to the legal, social, and political history of the United States. Reenactments are first performed at the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Convention in November, then again in May during AANHPI Heritage Month in New York.
AABANY’s latest trial reenactment made its New York debut at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Attendees settled in to watch a cast of 37 characters played by some 17 lawyers, including many AABANY members.
The reenactment had two narrators, who are also the writers, producers, and leaders of the AABANY Trial Reenactment team: Hon. Denny Chin, Senior United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Kathy Hirata Chin, a retired Partner of Crowell & Moring LLP and previously a retired Cadwalader Partner.
Other cast members included:
Anna Mercado Clark, Phillips Lytle LLP, Partner and Chief Information Security Officer (past NAPABA President, former AABANY Board Officer)
Vincent T. Chang, Law Clerk for Hon. James d’Auguste, Supreme Court, New York County, Commercial Division (former AABANY President)
Andrew T. Hahn, Hawkins, Delafield & Wood LLP, General Counsel (former AABANY, KALAGNY, and NAPABA President)
Yasuhiro Saito, Saito Law Group PLLC, Managing Partner
Francis H. Chin, Opensity Solutions, Senior Systems Engineer (AABANY Membership Director)
Yang Chen, Asian American Bar Association of New York, Executive Director (former AABANY President)
Pamela K. Chen, United States District Judge, Eastern District of New York
Concepcion A. Montoya, Hinshaw & Culbertson, Partner
Lauren U.Y. Lee, Korean American Family Service Center, Board of Directors; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, former Special Counsel
Kiyo A. Matsumoto, Senior United States District Judge, Eastern District of New York
Rose Cuison Villazor, Rutgers Law School, Professor of Law and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar
Jacob Chen, DGW Kramer LLP, Litigation Partner
Jane Kim, Wigdor LLP, Partner; former clerk for Hon. Denny Chin
Janicelynn Asamoto Park, Proskauer Rose LLP, Partner; former clerk for Hon. Denny Chin
Jessica C. Wong, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, Special Counsel
This reenactment was bookended by the case’s connection to current events. The narrators described President Donald Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order 14160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which sought to remove birthright citizenship from US-born children of parents who are undocumented or in the country temporarily.
This case follows the story and life of Wong Kim Ark, who was born in San Francisco to Chinese immigrant parents in 1870, one of only 518 ethnic Chinese born in the United States that year. Wong took multiple trips back to China, before returning to America in 1894, at which point he was denied entry on the grounds of not being a citizen.
That denial was appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The question before the Court was whether Wong should follow the citizenship of his parents or of where he was born. The reenactment reconstructed the Supreme Court argument, for which no transcript exists, using the briefs, the resulting court opinions, news reports, and other historical documents. Arguments revolved around whether children born in the U.S. are “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” under its plain meaning as stated in the Fourteenth Amendment. The original intent of Congress with regard to children born to foreign-born parents, as well as the implications of barring Wong Kim Ark’s birthright citizenship upon existing immigrant communities—European immigrants—and children of other nationalities, were also explored in the reenactment.
United States v. Wong Kim Ark affirmed Wong’s citizenship in a 6-2 decision in 1898, setting a legal precedent for more than a century. The majority ruling held that the 14th Amendment’s “ancient and fundamental rule of citizenship by birth within the territory” and its “peremptory and explicit language” all made Wong an American citizen.
However, Wong’s immigration troubles did not stop there, for either himself or his children. He lived in a time when anti-Chinese sentiment was rampant. Even within the decision itself, Justice John Marshall Harlan, for the dissent, wrote that “There is a race so different from ours that we do not permit those belonging to it to become citizens of the United States.” This captures the discrimination that society had at the time towards Chinese immigrants in America.
The reenactment further explored Wong’s life, as well as his family’s, after the Supreme Court’s ruling. Wong was later arrested in 1901 upon crossing the US-Mexico border, though the case was eventually dismissed—because of United States v. Wong Kim Ark. His four sons, born in China, faced intense scrutiny when they sought to come to the United States seeking citizenship as sons of a U.S. citizen. They faced heightened suspicion and interrogation that stretched over weeks or months of detention and aimed to determine their familial relationship to Wong, a form of scrutiny common to Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century.
The end of the reenactment returned to Trump’s executive order. The many lawsuits and preliminary injunctions that responded to Trump’s January order make frequent reference to United States v. Wong Kim Ark as well-settled precedent for birthright citizenship. The reenactment shares the responses to Trump’s Executive Order, including one from Judge Deborah Boardman in Maryland, who said that the executive order “conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment [and] contradicts 125-year old binding Supreme Court precedent.”
In this context, it becomes vitally important to revisit Wong Kim Ark’s life and times. Amid the prevalence of anti-immigrant rhetoric during the 1890s, United States v. Wong Kim Ark set precedent for generations of immigrants, including Asian Americans, and was reaffirmed throughout a series of 20th century Supreme Court cases, including INS v. Errico, 385 U.S. 214 (1966) and Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S. 202 (1982).
A discussion panel and Q&A session followed the reenactment, where questions of relevance to current times were at the forefront. Attendees questioned and discussed how America would change if birthright citizenship gets overturned. Mere months ago, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Barbara v. Donald J. Trump, the class action against President Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship. It was especially enlightening to hear Judge Chin talk about how putting together this reenactment made him understand his own family’s immigration history better and shined a light on often unspoken parts of the Chinese immigrant experience.
The reenactment highlighted the reaction from Wong Kim Ark’s great-grandson Norman Wong. Norman said in an interview for a documentary, “We thought [birthright citizenship] was a dead issue. These were rights we did not have to fight for anymore. It wasn’t something that anybody would have to worry about. … Now I’m glad [my great-grandfather] stood up.”
Following the reenactment, guests and participants enjoyed a networking and dinner reception, which included hors d’oeuvres, a dinner buffet, and a delicious handroll bar. Attendees mingled as they ate, reflecting on the reenactment and congratulating the actors for a job well done.
AABANY’s reenactment of United States v. Wong Kim Ark will be made available on AABANY’s trial reenactment website, where the script and materials can be shared upon request. AABANY’s past trial reenactment scripts are also available upon request. In fact, our most popular reenactment, “The Murder of Vincent Chin,” has been performed over 30 times globally.
We are grateful to all of the participants in the reenactment for dedicating their time to this project. To learn more about the other trial reenactments AABANY has organized, please visit our reenactments website.
At the clinic, our volunteers met with 12 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, medical fraud, real estate, and labor and employment matters. The collective efforts of our volunteers ensured that each client received personalized support and answers to their pressing legal questions. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s presence and contributions, and look forward to continuing this important work together!
Volunteer attorneys: Wendy (Wen-Hsien) Cheng Helen Ding Richard In Grace Ouyang Shirley Luong Johnny Thach May Wong Gary Yeung
Interpreters/shadowers: Nathan Cao Haotian (Victor) Chen Tiffany Jin Nandar Win Kerr Victoria Elise Sogueco Wendy Zeng
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
June 17 [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
July 11 [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
August 5 [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
Thanks to all our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic.
We look forward to your participation in our future clinics!
To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
The presentation discussed the importance of habeas corpus as the federal government expands immigration detention. The program provided an overview of the statutory framework governing civil immigration detention and discussed the constitutional limits on civil detention, underscoring that immigration detention remains subject to procedural and substantive due process.
The program also reviewed common habeas claims in both pre-order and post-order detention contexts. These included statutory misclassification, unlawful revocation of release, due process challenges to prolonged mandatory detention, claims arising from statutory protections such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and post-order detention challenges where removal is not reasonably foreseeable. Attendees received practical guidance on drafting a habeas petition.
Attendees had opportunities to participate in case studies throughout the program and ask questions, showing their passion, curiosity, and dedication.
The program concluded with an invitation for attorneys and volunteers to provide pro bono habeas representation by volunteering for I-ARC and the NYU Law Immigrant Rights Clinic’s NY Habeas Project and LSNJ’s Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative. AABANY thanks the speakers and organizers for providing this important training.
To learn more about the Issues Committee, go here. To learn more about the Immigration Law Committee, go here.
– Written by Vishal Chander, Board Member and Co-Chair of AABANY’s Issues Committee
On April 30, 2026, AABANY had the privilege of participating in the second Asian American & Pacific Islander Summit. The event was hosted in the U.S. Capitol by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and brought together AAPI organizations, advocates, and community leaders from across New York for three panels covering immigration enforcement and community response, civic engagement and the Voting Rights Act, as well as grants and resources for small business owners.
AABANY was represented by Rachel Lee, Board Director and Co-Chair of the Issues Committee, and Prof. Elaine Chiu, past Chair and current member of the AABANY Anti-Asian Violence Task Force. They were joined by a roster of elected officials that included Congresswoman Grace Meng and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Tammy Duckworth, Charles E. Schumer, Andy Kim, and Mazie Hirono.
Rachel Lee served as a panelist on the immigration enforcement panel. Drawing on AABANY’s experience collaborating with community members and organizations, Rachel stated, “Representing AABANY on the immigration panel was a valuable reminder of how critical community-facing work is. When audience members raised practical questions about daily best practices, my on-the-ground training and outreach experiences helped me address their needs. This reinforces the importance of know-your-rights education that is ongoing, audience-specific, and grounded in the realities of our communities, as well as the unique role that bar associations like AABANY have in connecting legal resources to the communities we serve.”
While the Summit’s primary focus this year was not on hate crimes, Senator Gillibrand highlighted her ongoing legislative efforts to combat anti-Asian hate and violence. In 2023, Senator Gillibrand introduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act (S.2030 / H.R.4172). This Act established an independent, 12-member federal commission tasked with examining the recent rise in hate-based incidents and developing comprehensive strategies to combat them. Senator Gillibrand has also co-sponsored the Disarm Hate Act (S.2776 / H.R.6258)which prohibits individuals convicted of misdemeanor hate crimes from purchasing or possessing firearms.
At the Summit, political strategist Trip Yang encouraged AAPI organizations to create their own content (such as polls, fact sheets, community newsletters) to better mobilize and represent AAPI voters, who are increasingly identifying as politically independent.
The AAPI Summit continues to be a valuable opportunity for AABANY to connect with advocates, elected officials, and community members working toward the same goals. Prof. Elaine Chiu noted, “This summit is a valuable opportunity to showcase AABANY and its unique ways of supporting our communities and to hear from other organizations how we can help.” Rachel and Elaine reported back that two other possible action items AABANY can consider are expanding Know Your Rights Workshops to reach a wider range of audiences and playing a bigger role in pro bono options to address the skyrocketing cost of immigration legal services. As the issues facing our community grow more urgent, events like this remind us of the immediate actions that we need to take to tackle the issues at hand.
AABANY thanks Senator Gillibrand for organizing the AAPI Summit and for including AABANY. Thanks also to Prof. Chiu and Rachel for representing AABANY at this important convening of leaders from across New York and the United States.
At the Clinic, our volunteers met with 14 clients and provided guidance on a range of legal issues, including housing, immigration, and civil litigation. Your collective efforts ensured that each client received personalized support and answers to their pressing legal questions.
We are deeply grateful for everyone’s presence and contributions, and look forward to continuing this important work together!
Special thanks to Megan Rha and D. Jenny Kim, partners from the Rha Kim Grossman & McIlwain, LLP, who came to support our Clinic and to provide valuable time and advice to the community. Also, special shoutout to Betty (Xinyue) Zhu who lives in New Jersey and came all the way out to Queens to help us out!
At this Clinic, we had so many intakes that we ran out of spaces and had to use the community playroom’s space. We are grateful for AAFE allowing us to expand to this area to do our work. At this playspace, some of our volunteers enjoyed a game of mahjong in between meetings with clients. While we would love to play more mahjong, we love helping out the community even more!
Volunteer attorneys:
Hung Yi Chien
Ting-Yu Chien
Helen Ding
Richard In
D. Jenny Kim
Emeline Kong
Grace Ouyang
Megan Rha
Sinbay Tan
Wendell Y. Tong
Anthony Wong
May Wong
Interpreters/shadowers:
Yining Pan
Ellie Wang
Jingjing Wang
Wendy Zeng
Betty (Xinyue) Zhu
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics:
– May 20 [Manhattan link here] from 6:30-8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
– June 3rd [Queens link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE One Flushing Community Center, 133-29 41st Ave, 2nd Floor, Flushing, NY 11355
– July 11th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 3:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Thanks again to all our volunteers for attending the Pro Bono Clinic.
We look forward to your participation in our future clinics! To learn more about the Pro Bono & Community Service Committee, visit probono.aabany.org.
At the Clinic, our volunteers met with 12 clients, providing guidance on various legal issues, including housing, immigration, public benefits, and civil litigation. Their collective efforts ensured that each client received personalized support and essential legal assistance.
In addition to providing vital legal guidance to community members, our Pro Bono Clinics serve as a training ground for law students and young attorneys to practice communicating complex legal concepts in layman’s terms. We appreciate our volunteers for taking the time to listen to clients’ stories and giving them a space to be heard. The dedication of our volunteers continues to bridge the justice gap in our community.
Volunteer attorneys:
Beatrice Leong
Francis Chin
Jieman Tan
Helen Ding
Meng Ru
Anna Chuen
Carmen Huang
Anthony Wong
Xiaodan Song
Arthur Lin
Cecilia Yang
Alexandra Ly
Interpreters/Shadowers:
Rachel Kim
Eva Lee
Elaine Pan
Shang Zhai
We invite you to continue supporting our community by joining us at our upcoming Pro Bono Clinics next month:
May 9th [Brooklyn link here], from 12:30 – 2:30pm, CPC Brooklyn Community Services, 4101 8th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11232
May 20th [Manhattan link here], from 6:30 – 8:30pm, AAFE Community Center, 111 Norfolk Street, NY, NY 10002
Thank you for making a significant difference in our community. We are deeply grateful for everyone’s contributions and look forward to continuing this important work together! We hope to see you at our May clinics!
—Written by Eva Lee and Rachel Kim, AABANY Interns
The conversation highlighted the rapid pace of immigration policy changes during the Trump administration and their continuing impact on immigration practice. Shafiqullah noted that more than 1,000 immigration policy changes were implemented through executive action during Trump’s first term, and that similar patterns appear to be emerging again, alongside proposals such as the Laken Riley Act, which would significantly expand mandatory detention.
Despite these developments, Shafiqullah emphasized that federal courts remain an important avenue for relief. Through habeas corpus petitions, federal District Courts can review unlawful detention and order new bond hearings or release when appropriate. He noted that “District Court judges are understanding that due process won’t permit arbitrary action.”
The program concluded with a discussion about the emotional toll of immigration practice. Because many asylum clients have experienced severe trauma, attorneys often face vicarious trauma as well. The Legal Aid Society supports its staff by providing trainings on handling burnout, secondary trauma, and sustainable public interest practice.
AABANY thanks Hasan Shafiqullah and the Legal Aid Society for sharing their insights, and thanks APALSA and the co-sponsoring committees for organizing this timely and informative program.
