William Menard Discusses Immigration Detention on PRI’s “The World”

William C. Menard, an Associate of the law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., spoke about immigration detention with Monica Campbell on “The World,” a collaboration between Public Radio International (PRI) and the BBC, and what effect this procedure has on immigrants’ rights.  Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that certain noncitizens who are detained in prison during immigration proceedings do not, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, have a statutory right to a bond hearing.  In other words, many immigrants now do not have a right to prove they should be released from prison as they fight their deportation case.  The interview can be heard on PRI.org’s story, “Why a recent Supreme Court decision on bonds is a ‘red flag’ for immigrants in detention.”

Menard is a leading immigration law and deportation defense attorney.  He has represented both individual and corporate clients in all facets of immigration law and has appeared on behalf of clients in deportation proceedings before immigration courts throughout the country, including in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  He has represented numerous clients before both the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services and the Board of Immigration Appeals and has conducted oral arguments before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Menard has completed and advised on permanent residence visas and a wide range of temporary visas.  He represents clients at all stages of proceedings before the immigration court, including obtaining bail for detained individuals and applying for relief from deportation, as well as petitions and applications before the Departments of State and Homeland Security.  He has also represented clients from six continents, including Mexico, Canada, and El Salvador; Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina; France, Germany, and the United Kingdom; Senegal, Egypt, and Ghana; China, Japan, and the Philippines; and Australia.

Menard is also active in his community on immigration matters, helping to write a town ordinance protecting immigrants from discrimination, and has advised education professionals on how to help ensure that immigrant students feel safe in school.

In law school, Menard was selected to join his school’s prestigious Moot Court Honor Society.  As a part of Moot Court, he earned the Joseph T. Tinnelly Best Brief Award for his year, and was twice chosen to argue in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, the largest and most respected moot court competition in the world.  As an undergraduate, Menard worked for the Claremont Courier, a Los Angeles-area newspaper, where he covered numerous topics, including U.S. Congressional campaigns, immigration in Southern California, healthcare and abortion rights, and more.  He also interned for a New York labor and employment law firm and worked as a public relations representative for the Harlem Children’s Society, promoting a New York-based organization that helped bright children from underprivileged backgrounds and communities pursue college degrees and careers in math and science.