Publications
The Harms of Immigration Detention (Lexington Books) (in progress)
Author: Jennifer Bulcock
The Road to Sanctuary: Insights from the City of Sisterly Affection and Brotherly Love (Fortress Press) (in progress)
Editors: Amada Armenta, Caitlin Barry, Abel Rodríguez
Legislating Morality: Moral Theory and Turpitudionous Crimes in Immigration Jurisprudence (Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review)
Authors: Abel Rodríguez and Jennifer Bulcock
Crimes and Immigration: Civil Advocacy for Noncitizens at the Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law (Springer Publishing)
Author: Abel Rodríguez
Published in: Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills, and Advocacy, edited by Fernando Chang-Muy and Elaine P. Congress, Springer Publishing Company, 2016.
Embracing Mother Cabrini's Vision: Pursuing Immigrant Justice in the Classroom and Beyond
Author: Abel Rodríguez
Published in: Cabrini Magazine, October 2016.
Selected Appearances
Center on Immigration Director is a recipient of the Harvard Divinity School 2020 Peter J. Gomes, STB ’68 Distinguished Alumni Honors
Center on Immigration Director, Abel Rodríguez is a recipient of the Harvard Divinity School 2020 Peter J. Gomes, STB ’68 Distinguished Alumni Honors. Each year, the Harvard Divinity School Alumni/Alumnae Council recognizes through the Gomes Honors the contributions of exceptional HDS graduates to diverse fields and vocations. Rodríguez is recognized as an exceptional alumnus who exemplifies both “incredible works to cross and transform borders, and the best of HDS values and formation.”
Center on Immigration Director and Assistant Director Present Paper at the Law and Society 2020 Annual Meeting
On May 28, 2020, Jennifer Bulcock and Abel Rodríguez co- presented the paper, “Vile Exclusion: Abolishing the Codification of Morality in Immigration Law” at the Law and Society 2020 Annual Meeting held virtually.
Center on Immigration Director presents at the 2019 Annual Meeting of American Society of Criminology in San Francisco, CA On November 14, 2019, Abel Rodríguez presented the paper, “Decriminalizing Sanctuary: Free Exercise and the Convergence of Interests in the New Sanctuary Movement,” at the 2019 Annual Meeting of American Society of Criminology in San Francisco, CA.
Center on Immigration Director receives Cabrini’s 2019 Luminary Award
On November 1, 2019, Center on Immigration Director, Abel Rodríguez, received The Luminary Award during Cabrini University's Visionaries Gala. The Luminary Award honors a graduate within the previous 20 years for his or her inspirational success. Rodríguez was recognized for his scholarship, teaching, and advocacy focused on migrant justice. He felicitously dedicated his award to "the true luminaries," people in migration forced to flee their homes; his students, many of whom work multiple jobs to pay tuition; and his parents, who emigrated 50 years ago.
Center on Immigration Assistant Director Presents Paper at the 36th Annual International Social Philosophy Conference at University of San Francisco
On July 11, 2019, Jennifer Bulcock presented her paper, “Against the State’s Right to Detain Non-Citizens: The Overriding Harms of Immigration Detention” at the 36th Annual International Social Philosophy Conference at University of San Francisco, California.
Center on Immigration Director and Assistant Director present at The Migration Conference at University of Bari, Italy
On June 18, 2019, Center on Immigration Director, Abel Rodríguez, and Assistant Director, Jennifer Bulcock presented on the harms caused by the detention system and the criminalization of migrant communities at The Migration Conference in Bari, Italy. Jennifer Bulcock presented her paper, “The Unmitigated Harms of Immigration Detention for Non-Citizens.”
Assistant Director Presents at the Moral and Political Philosophy at the Border Conference at University of Texas
On April 26, 2019, Jennifer Bulcock presented her paper “Against the State’s Right to Detain Non-Citizens: The Overriding Harms of Immigration Detention” at the Moral and Political Philosophy at the Border Conference at University of Texas, El Paso.
Assistant Director Presents Paper at American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting
On November 2018, Jennifer Bulcock presented her paper, "The Unmitigated Harms of Immigration Detention: An Ethical Analysis of the State's Justification for Detaining Non-Citizens" at the American Society of Criminology's annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.
Center Director Speaks on Sanctuary at University of Pennsylvania On November 14, 2018, Abel Rodríguez served as a panelist at Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania for a discussion, "Navigating Sanctuary: Cities' Responses to Shifting Immigration Policies.”
Center on Immigration Director Speaks at Villanova University On November 7, 2018, Abel Rodríguez spoke at a talk on the "Roots and Resilience of Philadelphia's Sanctuary Movement" at the Center for Peace and Justice at Villanova University.
Center Director Speaks on Sanctuary at University of Pennsylvania On November 14, 2018, Abel Rodríguez served as a panelist at Perry World House at the University of Pennsylvania for a discussion, "Navigating Sanctuary: Cities' Responses to Shifting Immigration Policies"
Assistant Director Presents Paper at the 35th Annual International Social Philosophy Conference Oakland University
On July 19, 2018, Jennifer Bulcock presented the paper, "The Unmitigated Harms of Immigration Detention: An Ethical Analysis of the State's Justification for Detaining Non-Citizens" at the 35th Annual International Social Philosophy Conference at Oakland University.
Center Director and Assistant Director Present Research at The Migration Conference at University of Lisbon
On June 28, 2018, Abel Rodríguez and Jennifer Bulcock co-presented their paper "Legislating Morality: Normative Ethics and the Shortcomings of the Crime Involving Moral Turpitude in the Immigration Legal Context" at The Migration Conference at the University of Lisbon in Portugal.
Center Director Receives Awards
On May 11, 2018, Abel Rodríguez received the Superhero Award given by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and S. New Jersey. Additionally, he recently received the Alumni Hall of Fame Award at Montgomery County Community College, the Distinguished Achievement Award at Cabrini University, and was recognized as an Honorary Member of Delta Epsilon Sigma.
Center Director Speaks on Crimmigration at Penn Law School
On February 2, 2018, Abel Rodríguez participated on a panel titled “Crimmigration and Immigration Enforcement in the Latinx Community” at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. The panel was part of Penn Law’s 22nd Annual LALSA Conference titled “Latin@s and the Criminal Justice System."
Center Director Speaks on Human Trafficking at National Association of Social Workers Meeting
On November 17, 2017, Abel Rodríguez spoke to a group of social workers about immigration law and human trafficking. The workshop, titled "An Immigrant's Experience: Mental Health Access and Human Trafficking," was offered by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Center Director Speaks at Catholic Immigrant Refugee Coalition Convening
On September 22, 2017, Abel Rodríguez spoke on the immigration continuum and the perpetuation of misconceptions concerning immigration under the current administration at the Catholic Immigrant Refugee Coalition Convening.
On July 27, 2017, Abel Rodríguez served as a panelist at the 2017 Annual CLE conference of the City of Philadelphia Law Department. The panel discussion, Immigration Law and Constitutional Principles, addressed various topics, particularly how consitutional law is shaping developments in immigration law.
Center Director Discusses Immigrant Students at Latinos and Education Conference
On April 7, 2017, Abel Rodríguez participated in the panel discussion, Dreamers in College: (Im)Migration and Successful Institutional Policies, at Delaware County Community College. The conference focused on issues of immigration, inclusion, equality, and the plight of undocumented DREAMers in higher education.
Center Director Presents on the Intersection of Criminal and Immigration Law at Philadelphia Bar Association
On March, 30, 2017, the Center Director participated as a panelist for the Philadelphia Bar Association's CLE titled From Criminal Conviction to Civil Nightmare. Rodríguez discussed the Third Circuit's erosion of legal protections provided under Padilla v. Kentucky to noncitizens facing criminal proceedings.
Center Director Speaks on Sanctuary at Eastern Sociological Society Conference
On February 25, 2017, Abel Rodríguez served as a panelist for the discussion, "Immigration in Philadelphia," for the Eastern Sociological Society Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, where he discussed the religious and legal dimensions of sanctuary.