In response to a poll revealing American鈥檚 opinions on birthright citizenship, 91视频 Professor Amelia Wilson told Newsweek: "The fact that almost half of those polled believe that birthright citizenship should be repealed or limited in some way is not only profoundly troubling, it demonstrates a misunderstanding of what it means to be 'American.鈥欌

Amelia Wilson
Biography
Professor Amelia Wilson joined the Haub Law faculty in 2024 when she became the Director of the Immigration Justice Clinic (鈥淚JC鈥). In her role as Director of the IJC, Professor Wilson also has clinical teaching responsibilities. Previously, Professor Wilson was an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Immigrants鈥 Rights/International Human Rights Clinic at Seton Hall School of Law. Prior to joining Seton Hall School of Law, Professor Wilson served for four years as Supervising Attorney, Research Scholar and Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School where she co-taught the Immigrants鈥 Rights Clinic. Professor Wilson has been practicing in the area of immigration law since 2005 and has represented hundreds of individuals as they navigate our detention and deportation system. She specializes in representing noncitizens with mental health disabilities, and her research and scholarship focus on safeguarding the due process rights of this particularly vulnerable population. In addition to teaching, writing, and engaging in direct legal services, Professor Wilson helped the Department of Justice build the first (and to date, only) government-funded appointed counsel system for any immigrant group. Professor Wilson received her JD from the University of Minnesota Law School and her BA from the University of Iowa.
Education
- BA, University of Iowa
- JD, University of Minnesota Law School
Selected Publications
View all of Professor Wilson鈥檚 publications on or download her CV (PDF).
- What鈥檚 the Matter with Franco-Gonzalez, 57 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 1267 (2023)
- Force Multiplier: An Intersectional Examination of One Immigrant Woman鈥檚 Journey Through Multiple Systems Of Oppression, 38 Berkeley J. Gender L. & Just. 1 (2023)
- Accessing Justice: A Call for Reparations for the Survivors of Medical Abuse at the Irwin County Detention Center, 37 Md. J. Int'l L. 54 (2022)
- Franco I Loved: Reconciling the Two Halves of the Nation鈥檚 Only Government-Funded Public Defender Program for Immigrants, 97 Wash. L. Rev. Online 21 (2022)
- Addressing All Heads of the Hydra: Reframing Safeguards for Mentally Impaired Detainees in Immigration Removal Proceedings, 39 N.Y.U. Rev. L. & Soc. Change 313 (2015) (with Natalie Prokop & Stephanie Robbins)
- Applying Method to the Madness: The Right to Court Appointed Guardians Ad Litem and Counsel for the Mentally Ill in Immigration Proceedings, 16 U. Pa. J.L. & Soc. Change 1 (2013) (with Natalie Prokop)
Areas of Interest
Immigration Law
Related News and Stories
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Professor Amelia Wilson, who serves as Director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, provides an expert analysis to Newsweek about the growing immigration backlog caused by DOGE cuts.
In an article for the River Journal aimed at informing immigrants of their rights, Adjunct Professor Amelia Wilson, Director of the Immigration Justice Clinic at Haub Law, shared her insights on the critical difference between an administrative and a judicial warrant. 鈥淎n administrative warrant is not signed by a judge, as is legally required to be enforceable,鈥 she said.