Immigration Ain't Easy Ep. 32- Legal Scholar Professor Ilya Somin
03/24/25 • 46 min
Professor Ilya Somin from George Mason University emigrated as a refugee from the former Soviet Union to the United States with his parents in 1979. The family was assisted in this move by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and were resettled in Westport, Connecticut. The Somin family eventually settled in Lexington, Massachusetts. After some difficulty with assimilation to the United States, Professor Somin found an appreciation for debate and eventually attended Amherst College, Harvard University (M.A. in political science) and Yale University (law).
Professor Somin is now one of the preeminent scholars in constitutional law. He also focuses his research on property law, democratic theory, federalism, and migration rights. Professor Somin is published in numerous scholarly journals, consistently interviewed by major media and his writings have been widely cited to by numerous courts including the U.S. Supreme Court.
He is the author of Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, revised and expanded edition, 2022), Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter (Stanford University Press, revised and expanded second edition, 2016), and The Grasping Hand: “Kelo v. City of New London” and the Limits of Eminent Domain (University of Chicago Press, 2015, rev. paperback ed., 2016). Professor Somin is the B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute.
In this episode he discusses his childhood as a new immigrant and the opportunities provided to him and his family in their new country. He talks about journey from not being able to speak or read English to becoming one of the top constitutional law experts in the country. The discussion also delves into some of the constitutional crises the U.S. currently faces.
Professor Ilya Somin from George Mason University emigrated as a refugee from the former Soviet Union to the United States with his parents in 1979. The family was assisted in this move by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and were resettled in Westport, Connecticut. The Somin family eventually settled in Lexington, Massachusetts. After some difficulty with assimilation to the United States, Professor Somin found an appreciation for debate and eventually attended Amherst College, Harvard University (M.A. in political science) and Yale University (law).
Professor Somin is now one of the preeminent scholars in constitutional law. He also focuses his research on property law, democratic theory, federalism, and migration rights. Professor Somin is published in numerous scholarly journals, consistently interviewed by major media and his writings have been widely cited to by numerous courts including the U.S. Supreme Court.
He is the author of Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, revised and expanded edition, 2022), Democracy and Political Ignorance: Why Smaller Government is Smarter (Stanford University Press, revised and expanded second edition, 2016), and The Grasping Hand: “Kelo v. City of New London” and the Limits of Eminent Domain (University of Chicago Press, 2015, rev. paperback ed., 2016). Professor Somin is the B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute.
In this episode he discusses his childhood as a new immigrant and the opportunities provided to him and his family in their new country. He talks about journey from not being able to speak or read English to becoming one of the top constitutional law experts in the country. The discussion also delves into some of the constitutional crises the U.S. currently faces.
Previous Episode
Immigration Ain't Easy Ep. 31- Somali Refugee and Entrepreneur Sahra Hirsi
Sahra Hirsi was exiled from her native Somalia in the early 1990's. She lived in a refugee camp in Kenya for around 15 years before finally resettling in the United States. She arrived in Tucson, Arizona with a new lease on life and was provided support from wonderful advocates such as Barbara Eiswerth and the Ishkashitaa Refugee Network.
Sahra took full advantage of her opportunity and she attended the University of Arizona and went on to open several businesses that have created a multitude of jobs. She also has made an emphasis of her ventures to provide jobs and support to new refugees arriving in the Tucson community. In 2014, Sahra was awarded the title "Woman of the Year" by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
In this podcast interview she speaks about her life before arriving on our soil and how difficult it was to be a displaced refugee. As humble as they come, she speaks to her success as an entrepreneur and community advocate. Sahra is a shining example of why refugees, amongst other immigrants, are so important to our economy.
Next Episode
Immigration Ain't Easy Ep. 33- Entrepreneur Akash Desai and Attorney Danielle Rizzo
Akash Desai immigrated to the United States, but that process was not overly difficult in comparison to his struggles to retain high-skilled foreign workers in this country. Akash is the Co-CEO of CyFlare, a fast-growing cybersecurity solutions company based in West Seneca, New York. In this episode, Akash speaks about the trials and tribulations of being an executive in the high tech industry and the difficulties in trying to get work visas, like the elusive H-1B, for international talent. The insight provided by Akash illustrates how many companies are forced to decide between taking a much costlier and uncertain route of trying to keep foreign nationals legally in the U.S. versus having them work remotely from abroad. The modern U.S. immigration system often provides more of an incentive for companies to have their employees work offshore.
Akash is joined by Danielle "Dani" Rizzo, a highly recognized immigration lawyer who discusses her own journey in the immigration law field. She also provides details about how difficult it is for U.S.-based businesses to get the proper work visas for much needed foreign workers and the absurdities of the process to keep them legally in the U.S.
This episode serves as just another cry for better legal pathways for both U.S. employers and foreign employees.
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