KC immigration attorney Sharma-Crawford: ‘Veneer is falling off’ administration’s policy
The Kansas City Business Journal profiles Rekha Sharma-Crawford on the growing due-process challenges she sees across the immigration system—from prolonged detention without bond hearings to international students and skilled workers being pushed into removal proceedings. Sharma-Crawford argues that immigration “court” remains an administrative system without the independence of a traditional judiciary, and that the consequences […]
How a Small Kansas City Became a Critical Hub for Trump’s Deportation Regime Against Its Will
The Intercept investigates how a reopened CoreCivic detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas became a central Midwest hub for ICE detention and deportation. Immigration attorney Michael Sharma-Crawford describes a system designed to move people quickly from regional jails into Leavenworth and onward toward removal, while raising concerns about access to counsel, charging documents, and meaningful due […]
Cancer Survivor, Pro-Democracy Activist Released by ICE After 4th Hospitalization
The Kansas City Star reports that Katsiaryna Bartko, a cancer survivor and Belarusian pro-democracy activist seeking asylum, was released from ICE custody after four hospitalizations in just over three months. Her attorney, Rekha Sharma-Crawford, argued that Bartko’s health had become dangerously unstable in detention and that she had been able to manage her condition successfully […]
Immigrants jailed in Kentucky won in court, but many still can’t be freed on bond
Louisville Public Media reports that many immigrants detained in Kentucky are still unable to secure release even after a federal appeals court affirmed their right to bond hearings. Immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford calls the current process a “sham,” warning that immigration judges are applying increasingly broad standards for flight risk and danger that can keep […]
Think Immigration: A Rule Meant to Protect Is Cutting Both Ways: Why Matter of Lozada Makes the Case for Independent Immigration Courts
AILA’s Rekha Sharma-Crawford argues Matter of Lozada—meant to protect immigrants—now too often blocks legitimate ineffective-assistance claims on technicalities, while also forcing unnecessary bar complaints against attorneys. Her takeaway: the real fix isn’t a tweak to paperwork—it’s independent immigration courts insulated from political control. Read the full AILA post →
Afghan man who helped the U.S. fight the Taliban ordered released from ICE detention in Missouri
In The Beacon’s report, immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford wins a federal court order releasing Mohammad Ali Dadfar, an Afghan asylum seeker held in Missouri after what the judge found was a warrantless arrest and the termination of parole without a hearing or written notice. The ruling spotlights how immigration detention can be “administrative” while still […]
Not On Our Watch: Rekha Sharma-Crawford on Defending Democracy Through Immigration Law
In LegalBridge’s feature, Rekha Sharma-Crawford explains how immigration lawyers are becoming front-line defenders of the rule of law—from post-9/11 shifts in enforcement to today’s surge in litigation where courts increasingly serve as the guardrails. It’s a candid look at what “Not on our watch” means in practice for clients, families, and democratic institutions. Read the […]
Immigration attorney provides update on Liberty, Mo., Mexican restaurant employees arrested during ICE raid
KSHB’s update features immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford after a federal judge ruled the February ICE operation at El Potro in Liberty, Missouri was illegal due to lack of warrants or probable cause. Sharma-Crawford shares where the workers’ cases stand now—most remain in the U.S. on bond as the next rulings move through immigration court. Read […]
Justice Department to prioritize revoking U.S. citizenship for naturalized Americans
NBC Philadelphia reports the Justice Department issued a memo directing attorneys to prioritize denaturalization—revoking U.S. citizenship for some naturalized Americans—across categories ranging from fraud to serious human-rights abuses, while critics warn the memo’s language could be applied broadly. Immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford notes these cases must be brought in federal district court, where strict rules […]