Pro Bono partners to receive Defenders of Due Process Awards, while longtime volunteer receives the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

WASHINGTON, DC — Amica Center for Immigrant Rights is proud to announce that Covington & Burling, Hecker Fink, and McDermott Will & Schulte will receive the Defenders of Due Process Award, and longtime volunteer Susan Saudek will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at our annual fall fundraiser on October 1, 2026, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. The awards recognize the recipient’s exceptional commitment to protecting due process and standing alongside immigrant children and adults facing detention and deportation. 

For nearly 30 years, Amica Center (formerly CAIR Coalition) has worked to build a country that affords everyone due process, protects people seeking safety, and keeps communities together. At a time when immigrant communities face escalating threats, access to legal representation is under attack, and nonprofits defending fundamental rights are increasingly targeted, this year’s honorees embody the power of collective action. Through groundbreaking litigation, trusted legal counsel, direct volunteer service, and steadfast advocacy, they have helped ensure that immigrant children and adults are not forced to navigate detention and deportation alone. 

“At a time when immigrant communities are facing relentless attacks and the promise of due process is being tested every day, this year’s honorees have stepped up in extraordinary ways,” said Michael Lukens, Executive Director of Amica Center. “Whether through high-impact litigation, critical organizational counsel, or years of hands-on volunteer service, they have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to protecting immigrant communities. Their leadership reminds us that defending due process takes many forms, and that every contribution matters.” 

Covington & Burling recently led the fight in Escobar Molina v. DHS, a landmark challenge to ICE’s unlawful practice of conducting warrantless immigration arrests without probable cause in Washington, DC. The litigation secured a court order requiring ICE to halt these arrests, delivering a significant victory. Between August and November 2025, ICE arrested more than 1,400 people in Washington, DC; following the issuance of a preliminary injunction in December 2025, arrests dropped to just over 100 through March 2026. The case continues to hold the government accountable and seeks to ensure that all community members are treated with dignity, fairness, and due process. 

This year, Hecker Fink took on one of Amica Center’s most significant impact litigation matters, defending non-refoulement and challenging the administration’s unlawful deportations. Hecker Fink has also led multiple habeas challenges against unlawful and prolonged ICE detention, securing life-changing outcomes for immigrants in detention. 

McDermott Will & Schulte has served as a trusted advisor to Amica Center during one of the most challenging periods in the organization’s history. The firm’s attorneys have provided critical counsel on governance, trademark, habeas, and ethics matters, helping strengthen Amica Center’s ability to serve immigrant children and adults at risk of detention and deportation. As nonprofits face increasing scrutiny and legal challenges, McDermott’s partnership has been instrumental. 

Amica Center is also pleased to honor Susan Saudek with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Susan is one of Amica Center’s most loyal and dedicated volunteers, donating thousands of hours to translate important documents, staff our free Detention Hotline, participate in detention facility visits, and connect with people who are detained at a time when they need it most. Her continued advocacy on behalf of Amica Center and immigrant communities in the DMV is inspiring, and we are grateful for her continued service.  

While these awards recognize four extraordinary honorees, they also reflect the broader community of pro bono partners, volunteers, and advocates who help ensure that immigrants have access to meaningful due process and quality legal representation. Through impact litigation, individual representation, organizational support, direct service, and unwavering advocacy, they make it possible for Amica Center to defend immigrants’ rights and keep families and communities together. 

Amica Center’s annual fall fundraiser, Defend One Another: A Night for Immigrant Rights, brings together advocates, volunteers, supporters, and community members to celebrate the power of collective action and raise critical funds to support legal services and strategic litigation for immigrants facing detention and deportation.