Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone examined the implications of expanding biometric surveillance and identity verification in U.S. immigration adjudications during an interdisciplinary conference hosted by Åbo Akademi University.
Assistant Professor of Law Heather Scavone presented her research on biometric governance and asylum adjudication at an international academic conference held Oct. 15-17, in Turku, Finland.
The conference, “SOGIESC in Asylum: Evidence-Based and Cross-Cultural Perspectives,” was hosted by the Psych-AID research network at Åbo Akademi University. It convened scholars, researchers and practitioners from multiple countries to examine the legal, psychological and institutional challenges associated with adjudicating asylum claims involving sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
Scavone’s research examines the intersection of administrative law, emerging surveillance technologies and immigration policy, with particular attention to the legal limits of government authority to collect and use sensitive personal information. Her presentation, “From Credibility to Genetic Verification: Biometric Governance in SOGIESC Asylum,” explored the implications of expanding biometric collection and identity verification practices within the U.S. immigration system.
Scavone’s presentation considered how emerging biometric technologies and administrative policies in a forthcoming federal regulation could affect asylum applicants, particularly those whose claims involve sexual orientation or gender identity. She highlighted the legal and practical challenges associated with using biological and behavioral characteristics in immigration adjudications, as well as broader questions concerning privacy, administrative authority and the government’s role in evaluating individual identity.
The presentation drew upon Scavone’s experience as a former senior attorney with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, where she advised agency leadership on federal administrative law, regulatory development and immigration policy.
The conference also featured interdisciplinary discussions of credibility assessment, investigative practices, psychological evidence and institutional decision-making in asylum proceedings, with an emphasis on international collaboration and evidence-based approaches to asylum adjudication.
Scavone, who co-founded 鶹Ƶ Law’s Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic in 2010, returned to the law school this fall as an assistant professor. She currently teaches constitutional law and professional responsibility.