An Overview of the US Immigration System
Terminology and Procedures
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 8:30 –10:30 a.m. (CDT)
Location: ONLINE LIVE WEBINAR
Target Audience: All language interpreters and individuals who wish to know more about this topic
Cost: $30 • $15 for students • FREE for SWITS staff interpreters and guests
Title: An Overview of the US Immigration System, Terminology, and Procedures
Presenter: Carmel A. Capati, J.D.
Approved for 2 Wisconsin Court CE credits.
Description:
This 2-hour session will provide an overview of the immigration system in the US with a focus on family-based, humanitarian, and removal proceedings. The speaker will review common terms and procedural aspects of immigration cases of which all interpreters working in this field should be aware.
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- Identify government agencies responsible for enacting and implementing US immigration laws and regulations.
- Recognize common terminology used in family-based, humanitarian, and removal cases to provide basic knowledge when interpreting.
- Compare citizens and non-citizens and the potential immigration benefits available for each status.
- Gain an awareness of how enforcement of immigration laws have changed under the current presidential administration.
About Carmel A. Capati, JD.
Carmel A. Capati is the Managing Attorney for Catholic Multicultural Center’s (CMC) Immigration Legal Services Program in Madison, Wisconsin which focuses primarily on family-based and humanitarian forms of relief for immigrants and refugees from over 75 countries. Prior to joining CMC in 2020, Carmel served as manager for the Court Interpreter Program with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and maintained a small law practice with other immigration attorneys and eventually as a sole practitioner.
She holds a B.A. in Journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in Southeast Asian Studies and a J.D. from UW-Madison.
She is a dual citizen of the Philippines and U.S. and has over 16 years of immigration law experience.