Staff Directory

Peter is a Boston College Public Service Legal Fellow with CAIR Coalition's Immigration Impact Lab. He works on impact litigation actions and amicus briefs on behalf of detained noncitizens in federal court. A recent JD graduate of Boston College Law School, he worked on numerous immigration cases before different agencies and federal courts over the course of four semesters and a full-time summer job with the BC Law Immigration Clinic, including successfully winning asylum for a detained Iraqi man in the Boston Immigration Court. Peter also participated in his school's year-long Ninth Circuit Appellate Project clinic, where he and a team of two other students completed opening and reply briefs and prepared for oral argument in a Salvadoran CAT and derivative citizenship case before the Ninth Circuit. He also served as a full-time summer legal intern in the Immigration Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services, and spent a year working part-time for a Boston immigration law firm. Peter has also completed extensive immigration-related coursework to build both his substantive and practical knowledge of immigration law.

Peter is originally from North Carolina and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in Russian and political science. After college, he spent three years living in Warsaw, Poland teaching English as a foreign language to adults. He speaks Polish, Russian, French, and Spanish. Peter is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Itzel is currently the HR and Operations Manager at Capital Area Immigrants Rights (CAIR) Coalition, where she provides support to the Finance, HR, and Operations departments.

Before her time at CAIR Coalition, Itzel worked as a Program Associate with the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) and at Independent Sector as the Operations Associate. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Criminology, Law and Society from George Mason University and is a member of the American Associate of University Women, the National Organization for Victim Assistance, and the National Crime Prevention Association.

Before joining CAIR Coalition, Emily worked alongside several immigrant rights coalitions in New Haven. As a legal intern with CARECEN's Survivors of Violence Unit in Los Angeles, she assisted with case management, provided translation, and worked with clients to prepare case declarations. Throughout her time in college, Emily conducted community-based participatory research in the southern United States and Guatemala, focusing on the intersections of environmental racism, public health, and displacement. Emily holds a B.A. in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration from Yale University. She received the Nakanishi Prize for her work on racial and ethnic justice issues at Yale upon graduation.

Adina created and leads the Immigration Impact Lab, CAIR Coalition's first-ever federal courts and appellate impact litigation project. She has litigated several individual and class action impact cases on behalf of immigrant adults and children who are detained and facing deportation involving asylum law, due process and detention, and the intersection of criminal and immigration law, including Bah v. Barr, et al. No. 1:19-CV-641, 2019 WL 4247823 (E.D. Va. Sept. 6, 2019), Obando-Segura v. Whitaker, No. GLR-17-3190, 2019 WL 423412 (D. Md. Feb. 1, 2019), Martinez v. Sessions, 892 F.3d 655 (4th Cir. 2018), Mauricio-Vasquez v. Whitaker, 910 F.3d 134 (4th Cir. 2018), and Mauricio-Vasquez v. Crawford, No. 1:16-cv-01422 (AJT), 2017 WL 1476349 (E.D. Va. Apr. 24, 2017). As an adjunct professor, Adina co-taught a seminar on the intersection of criminal and immigration law at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law.

From 2015-2017, Adina was an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by the Arnold & Porter Foundation at CAIR Coalition, where she created and led the Crim-Imm Pro Bono Project to expand access to counsel trained in the intersection of criminal and immigration law and impact litigation to defend detained immigrants facing deportation due to convictions. For this Project, Forbes highlighted her in its 30 under 30 Law and Policy list.

Adina graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with joint Juris Doctor and Master of Public Policy degrees, a Certificate in Refugee & Humanitarian Emergencies, and as a Public Interest Law Scholar and Global Law Scholar.  She represented clients at Georgetown Law's Center for Applied Legal Studies Asylum Clinic and Juvenile Justice Clinic and completed legal internships at the Arlington Immigration Court, CAIR Coalition, the Maryland Office of the Public Defender Immigration Program, the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Asylum Access Ecuador.

 Prior to law school, Adina was a Fulbright Scholar in Cairo, Egypt, where she provided legal aid to refugees fleeing persecution from across Africa and the Middle East. She holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in Urban Studies and International Area Studies and is admitted to practice law in Virginia, the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

My name is Johnny Avila and I am an incoming NQRP Legal assistant. I grew up in the Chicagoland area where my family to immigrated from Mexico. I recently graduated from Northwestern University where I majored in Political Science. Prior to working at the CAIR Coalition, I had the opportunity to intern at a few other non-profits where I developed an interest in immigrant rights and legal advocacy. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, finding new restaurants to try, and dancing to reggaeton.

My name is Mauricio Ayala.

I was born in Washington, D.C. in 1984. About 2 years after I was born my mother and father bought a house in El Salvador and I continued to live in El Salvador until I was 14.

I began to work in the Immigration field at the Law Offices of Jay S. Marks in 2013. I have always enjoyed working in immigration but have always wished I could do more for my community.

My passion in life have always been the arts. I enjoy drawing, painting, writing, and cooking. I currently rent a studio space in Hyattsville, Maryland at Pyramid Atlantic that I use for my artistic endeavors.

Abegail joined the CAIR team in July 2021 as the Development Director after 15 years at distinguished nonprofits. In this role, she leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising and donor communications strategy for annual giving, major gifts, grants, and special events. 

Prior to CAIR, she was a member of the inaugural development team at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), established after the $20 million viral Facebook fundraiser in 2018. In her role as the Director of Major Gifts for the Eastern Region and most recently as the Director of Principal Gifts, she stewarded and cultivated relationships with individual donors, family foundations, and advisors in an effort to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. 

During her tenure as the Senior Associate Director of Annual Giving at Colby College, She implemented new initiatives to increase alumni participation and revenue in support of the $750 million “Dare Northward” campaign. She also served as the Director of Individual Giving at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) in Maine, revitalizing the museum’s individual giving programs, mobilizing volunteers, and contributing to the completion of PMA’s $15 million “Focused Endowment Initiative.” She gained expertise in nonprofit and arts administration through progressive roles within the development departments at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and The Music Center, one of the largest performing arts venues in the country.

Abegail emigrated with her family from the Philippines to the United States at the age of 10. A California transplant, she earned her B.A. in Anthropology from St. Mary’s College of California and is currently pursuing a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certification from The American College of Financial Services.

Alice joined CAIR Coalition in 2018 and serves as a managing attorney within the Detained Adults Program, helping to oversee legal and social services provided to adults held in immigration detention in both Virginia and Maryland.  Her direct representation is focused on removal defense both at the trial and appellate levels.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Alice worked as an associate at the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton, where she represented asylum seekers as part of her pro bono practice.  She was previously sponsored by the American Society of International Law as a Helton Fellow in Kigali, Rwanda.  Alice has also served as a legal intern for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the American Bar Association’s Center for Human Rights, and the Legal Aid Justice Center in Virginia.  Prior to law school, she interned for the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and was a Fulbright Fellow in Guatemala.

Alice obtained her J.D. and Certificate in Refugees & Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown Law.  She holds a B.A. from Georgia State University in Psychology.  She is admitted to practice law in New York and the District of Columbia, with her work in Virginia and Maryland limited to representation before federal agencies.

Scott joined CAIR Coalition in 2019 as a staff attorney in the Detained Children’s Program.

A Louisiana native, Scott graduated from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert School of Law, where he received his a Juris Doctorate (cum laude) as well as a Diploma in Comparative Law.  In 2018, Scott worked in his law school’s immigration law clinic, in which he represented both children and adults in asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases.  Prior to law school, Scott worked for a year in Socuellamos, Spain, as an elementary school English teacher.  He is fluent in Spanish.

Noah recently completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada with a major in political science. He joined CAIR Coalition in May of 2021 as the Pro Bono Coordinating Intern and is exited to stay on the team as the Pro Bono Coordinating Assistant. Originally from Cambridge, MA Noah has also spent years living in Germany, helping with refugee resettlement projects, and briefly attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Before joining CAIR Coalition as an intern, Noah worked with Professor Stephen Ortega at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University promoting human rights issues through athlete activism.

My name is Citlalli Bueno Lares. I am the new Legal Orientation Program Legal Assistant. I am excited to join the CAIR Coalition and continue my mission of advancing the rights and providing support to immigrant communities. For over a decade I have worked to advance the rights of immigrants through advocacy and organizing in the Chicagoland area. Through this work we were able to provide funds to undocumented students pursing higher education, pass numerous new laws at the local and state level, and train community members in becoming leaders. I look forward to continuing supporting immigrants in a new capacity at CAIR Coalition. In addition to my love for this work, during my free time I enjoy hiking, yoga, crafting, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

Giovanna joined CAIR in June 2019 as a program assistant.

Prior to working with CAIR Coalition, Giovanna predominately focused on public interest specifically with immigration and housing in the District of Columbia. During undergrad, she interned at the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration where she answered calls on a hotline and assisted individuals in detention centers with their immigration issues whether it be helping them navigate the immigration court, updating them on their case status, sending them ‘Know Your Rights” packets. When she was not on the hotline, Giovanna conducted research and gathered country reports for the attorneys to use as well as translated documents.

After interning at the American Bar Association, Giovanna continued perusing her passion for social justice and interned with the DC Office of Attorney General Public Advocacy Division where she assisted the Assistant Attorney Generals with tenant cases that involved advocating for better living conditions for District residents.

Giovanna graduated from American University in May 2019 where she earned her B.A. in Justice, Law and Criminology and certificates in Advanced Leadership Studies as well as Politics, Policy, and Law.

Melany joined CAIR Coalition as a legal assistant in January 2020. Prior to working at CAIR Coalition, she worked for Microsoft as an IT support specialist and has over eight years of experience in the information technology industry. She also served as the Information Technology Industry Council’s Latin America Global Policy Graduate Fellow where she drafted recommendations for stakeholders that advanced market access and innovative capacities for ICT companies in Latin America.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs from Cleveland State University. In 2017 she moved to Washington D.C. to combine the experience she has in technology with her passion for Latin America. In May of 2020 she will graduate from the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies master’s program, specializing in security and development, at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.

Clu joined CAIR Coalition in 2021 as the NQRP Case Manager in the Detained Adult Program. Prior to joining the organization, Clu worked with adults in Montgomery County, Maryland transitioning from homelessness to permanent supportive housing. Clu holds a MSW from Boston University School of Social Work, and has spent the past six years providing direct services to low-income individuals and families on issues from reproductive rights and immigration to food access and mental healthcare. 

Katherine joined CAIR Coalition in 2018. Her work focuses on providing bond representation and other legal services to adults held in immigration detention in both Virginia and Maryland. She is a recent graduate of American University's Washington College of Law, where she completed internships in the areas of immigration law, public defense, and served as a judicial intern at D.C. Superior Court.

Abigail Cushing is a Managing Attorney for the Detained Adult Program (DAT) at the Washington DC office of the CAIR Coalition.  She joined the team in April 2022.  Abigail obtained her juris doctorate degree from the University of Puerto Rico where she studied both civil law and common law.  While attending Law School she served as a voluntary teacher, to public school students teaching them human rights.  During law school, Abigail also worked at the Immigration Law School Clinic providing pro-bono representation to survivors of domestic violence.  Prior to that, Abigail obtained her bachelor’s degree in Social Work, graduating magna cum laude.  As a student social worker, Abigail worked allocating services for children with special needs. 

Abigail Cushing’s career encompasses extensive work in removal defense litigation, bonds, complex immigration issues, family and humanitarian petitions, waivers of inadmissibility, and naturalizations.  She has successfully represented individuals before Immigration Courts in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Louisiana, and Washington.  From 2021-2022, Abigail worked for Kids in Need of Defense, KIND, Inc. in the Family Separation and Reunification Programs. From 2013-2021, Abigail worked at a boutique immigration law firm in Dallas, Texas handling most of the firm’s removal defense litigation as well as Adjustment of Status and Naturalization Interviews before USCIS.  From 2008-2013, Abigail worked as a Staff Attorney for Catholic Charities Community Services at the Archdiocese of New York where she provided Know Your Rights Presentations, screenings for relief, and referrals.   While working with CCCS, she handled the detained docket in the New York Immigration, representing court detained unaccompanied minors.  In addition to this, Abigail has trained and provided mentorship to student attorneys from Cardozo School of Law, St. John’s University, Sothern Methodist University and Texas Tech.  Abigail Cushing has presented workshops at St. John’s University, the University of Puerto Rico, the New York Bar Association and at Vera the Institute of Justice’s convening.

Ana is a graduate of American University Washington College of Law. Ana focused on public international and human rights. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Ana served as a Senior Research Associate with the Public International Law and Policy Group, working on human rights issues for international clients. Before that she interned with the World Organization Against Torture in Geneva, Switzerland and advocated for torture victims rights before UN bodies. She also interned with the National Center for Victims of Crime.

Along with a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, Ana also earned an M.A. in International Affairs from the School of International Service through the dual-degree program.

Kathryn M.  Doan, Esq., has served as CAIR Coalition’s executive director since 2008. During her tenure, the organization has expanded from a staff of six to a staff of 65 and added two new programs – The Detained Children’s Program and the Immigration Impact Lab.  Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she was the Deputy Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Washington, DC, where she also managed the agency’s Immigration Legal Services and Community Support Services programs.

At the 2015 D.C. Judicial and Bar Conference, Ms. Doan was named the recipient of the D.C. Bar Foundation’s Jerrold Scoutt Prize. The Prize is awarded annually to an attorney “who has worked for a significant portion of his or her career at a non-profit organization providing direct hands-on legal services to the needy in the District of Columbia; has demonstrated compassionate concern for his or her clients; and has exhibited a high degree of skill on their behalf.”

A native of New York, Ms. Doan graduated from Cornell University and Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law. 

After graduating from the Fletcher School at Tufts University with two masters in international law and development, I had a long first career at the World Bank, working in many parts of the world including as Director for Central America.  When I retired, I decided to embark on a second career focussing on legal aspects of immigration. During 2020 - Spring 2021, I interned at CAIR with the Detained Children's Program and CAIR's Litigation Director and completed a Masters in Paralegal Studies at GWU in May 2021. I also did some distance graduate coursework on legal aspects of immigration at CUNY.  I'm now very excited to be joining CAIR staff as a Paralegal with the DUCS team!  

In my spare time I am a VITA volunteer certified by the IRS to help elderly and low-income residents of the DMV, often non-English speakers, prepare their tax returns.  I also love to read, travel, and spend time with my multi-cultural family who are now spread across the U.S., Switzerland, and South America.

Natalia graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Spanish minor. While in school she interned with an organization that trains incarcerated individuals to become mediators. After graduation, Natalia served as an AmeriCorps Volunteer at CASA where she helped develop Driver Privilege Card attainment, youth education, and employment programs. 

Jenny Eldridge joined CAIR Coalition in 2021. She works in the Detain Adults Project Legal Orientation Program. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Jenny worked as an associate in private practice at DLA Piper LLP (US) in Chicago, where she represented asylum seekers as part of her pro bono practice. She also made several trips to detention centers as part of her pro bono practice to work with clients in CFI/RFI/bond related work. She was previously the Krantz Fellow for DLA Piper and served as a pro bono associate in her first year of practice.

Jenny obtained her J.D. from University of Illinois College of Law. She holds a B.S.B.A from University of Pittsburgh in Finance. She is admitted to practice law in Illinois.

Jake joined CAIR Coalition in 2021 as a staff attorney in the Detained Children’s Program. A Chicago native, Jake received his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in 2021, where he represented children and adults in their asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and U Visa cases at Northwestern’s Immigration Clinic. He interned for Al Otro Lado’s Otay Mesa Release Project, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network’s Detention Program, volunteered with Proyecto Dilley in Texas, and with Al Otro Lado’s Border Rights Project in Tijuana, Mexico. Prior to law school, Jake received his master’s in African American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Francisco joined CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program as a Staff Attorney in September 2021. Francisco graduated from University of Maryland University College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Law for Business. Francisco has worked in Immigration law since 2013 when he worked in a private immigration law firm. In April 2019, Francisco began working as a Senior Paralegal at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law Clinical Program while attending evening law classes. During his last year of law school, Francisco represented clients as a student attorney at the Chacon Center for Immigrant Justice. In May 2021, Francisco graduated from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and received the Public Service Award.

Maria Jose is CAIR’s new legal assistant. Originally from Argentina, Maria Jose graduated from Cordoba’s National University with a law degree. She also spent three years in Brazil studying the Inter-American system of Human Rights Protection. Recently she graduated from Georgetown University, where she deepened her understanding of regional and hemispheric dynamics, particularly in areas where law and politics intersect. Before CAIR, Maria Jose worked in the public and private sectors, mainly in her home country. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English, being a newbie to French.

Ama was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, immigrating to the United States at the age of 13. A graduate of Salem College and Wake Forest University School of Law, Ama has always had a passion for serving the underserved in her community. Before joining CAIR Coalition, Ama practiced immigration law and criminal defense in North Carolina for over three years. She focused her immigration practice on humanitarian and family-based relief, and her criminal defense practice on advocating for the indigent. She also served as Executive Director of a non-profit organization, providing a variety of services to the Latino community in Dare County, NC. When she is not working, Ama enjoys spending time with her 18-year old dog, her husband, and her twin.

Emily joined CAIR Coalition in June 2021. She is passionate about national identity, migration, citizenship, and belonging, and looks forward to a career helping to make US immigration and foreign policy more people-centered, humane, and just.

Emily graduated from Miami University of Ohio in May 2021 with majors in international studies and political science and a minor in Spanish. While in college, she studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain, and interned for one semester each at Latin America Working Group and Ayuda in DC. She also volunteered to teach and tutor refugees and asylum seekers in English. In her free time, Emily enjoys cooking and baking, reading, taking walks, and dancing.

Daniel joined CAIR Coalition in 2019. He works in the Detained Children's Program, which provides legal services to children detained in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, direct representation, pro bono mentorship and training, and community outreach.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Daniel clerked for the Honorable Chief Judge Robert E. Morin of the District of Columbia Superior Court. Daniel received his J.D. from American University Washington College of Law where he was a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic representing clients in Asylum and other immigration-related proceedings. Throughout and prior to law school, Daniel worked as an investigator and legal assistant at the Children's Law Center, a legal services nonprofit serving low-income and vulnerable children and families in the Washington, D.C. area. Daniel is licensed to practice in Maryland.

Katarina (Katy) joined CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program as a Staff Attorney in September 2021. She graduated from Florida State University and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Prior to attending law school, Katy worked at two boutique immigration law firms in Miami and was an English Teaching Fellow in Colombia. She graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 2021. As a law student, Katy participated in Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic and interned at RAICES, The Legal Aid Society, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, and Americans for Immigrant Justice.

Katharine Gordon is a staff attorney with the the Detained Adult Program, where she serves individuals with mental health disabilities. Previous to this, she worked at Al Otro Lado, in Tijuana, coordinating the pro bono response to the previous administration’s “Metering” and “Migrant Protection Protocols” policies which prevented asylum seekers from meaningfully exercising their right to request protection under international and federal law. She also worked as a child advocate with unaccompanied minors—including children with developmental and mental health disabilities—detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Before shifting to immigration advocacy, she worked with the American Diabetes Association’s national legal advocate program, where she helped people across the country fight discrimination in employment, education, public accommodations, correctional facilities, and interactions with law enforcement. A former Georgetown University Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow, Gordon is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the George Washington University Law School. Gordon has lived and worked in Mexico City and rural Guatemala, is fluent in Spanish, has worked extensively with survivors of trauma and violence.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Eleanor served as a Staff Attorney for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eleventh Circuit. She completed legal internships with the Missouri Public Defender System in the St. Louis County and Eastern Capital Divisions, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project in St. Louis, and the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

 Eleanor obtained her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where she received the Public Service Law Student of the Year Award and the Dean’s Service Award. She holds a B.A. in Politics and Spanish from Bates College. Eleanor is admitted to practice law in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Nitin joined CAIR Coalition in June 2021. He has a lengthy tenure of advocating for immigrant and working-class populations. Prior to joining CAIR, he was based in North Carolina for ten years. In NC, he directed the Poultry and Livestock Workers Rights Project at the Legal Aid Farmworker Unit, where he defended migrant food-processing workers against abuses at the workplace. Afterwards Nitin founded a community law practice, focusing on humanitarian immigration law and wage theft law. He also worked extensively with a community-based immigrant rights organization, providing pro-bono direct legal services as well as contributing to community empowerment through Know-Your-Rights workshops.

Nitin graduated from Duke University magna cum laude with a A.B. in History. He received his Juris Doctor from the City University of New York (CUNY) through a Dean’s merit scholarship. In 2020, Nitin became a Board Certified Specialist in Immigration Law by the North Carolina State Bar. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Lawyers Guild. He is fluent in Spanish.

Jennifer Grishkin joined CAIR Coalition in May 2019 as Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney. Before joining CAIR Coalition, she volunteered for several years with Hogar Immigrant Services to provide direct legal services to noncitizens in humanitarian immigration matters.

Jennifer formerly was a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and a litigation associate with the DC-based law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering. She began her career as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Walter K. Stapleton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Jennifer holds a JD from Yale Law School and a BA in sociology from Wake Forest University.

Edith joined CAIR Coalition in 2016 and serves as a staff attorney for adults held in immigration detention in both Virginia and Maryland.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Edith served as a student attorney in the Georgetown Law Women and Immigration Practicum, and was a contributor to the Jessup Prison Project. Before that, Edith interned with the Charlotte, North Carolina Public Defender’s Office, served as a law clerk at Charlotte, North Carolina’s Ginter Law Clinic, and served in the Charlotte Law Immigration Practitioner Clinic and the Charlotte Law Civil Rights Clinic. Edith obtained her Master of Laws with academic distinction from Georgetown Law with a concentration in Criminal and Immigration studies, and certificate in International Human Rights. She obtained her Juris Doctor from Charlotte Law.

Caroline joined CAIR Coalition's Detained Children's Program in September 2018, as an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by McDermott Will & Emery. 

Emma joined CAIR Coalition as an Avodah fellow in the legal orientation program in 2020. Following her year of service, she transitioned to the legal assistant position on the DC/Fairfax Universal Representation team.

Prior to working at CAIR Coalition, Emma attended Colby College where she graduated with a BA in Global Studies. During her college career, she spent several months volunteering in a community center for asylum seekers in Chios, Greece. In her "free" time, Emma does yoga, thinks about getting a dog, and organizes events for CAIR Coalition's fun committee.

Sam Hsieh is a Managing Attorney with CAIR Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab. She has litigated impact litigation actions on behalf of detained immigrant adults and children in immigration proceedings and federal courts, including Arita-Deras v. Wilkinson, No. 19-1978, 2021 WL 821393 (4th Cir. March 4, 2021); Songlin v. Crawford, No. 3:19-cv-895, 2020 WL 5240580 (E.D. Va. Sept. 2, 2020); J.N.C.G. v. Warden, Stewart Detention Ctr., No. 4:20-cv-62, 2020 WL 5046870 (M.D. Ga. Aug. 26, 2020); J.S.G. v. Stirrup, No. 1:20-cv-1026, 2020 WL 1985041 (D. Md. April 26, 2020); and Nunez-Vasquez v. Barr, 965 F.3d 272 (4th Cir. 2020) (as amicus).

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Sam was a staff attorney at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, where she wrote memoranda and proposed opinions for federal appeals in a wide variety of areas, including immigration law. Sam previously worked as an immigration attorney at a private firm in Washington, D.C. with a focus on asylum law. She graduated with honors from The George Washington University Law School, where she received a full-tuition merit scholarship. In law school, she interned at a private immigration firm and the Department of Justice, in addition to representing low-wage workers in the school's Public Justice Advocacy Clinic.

Sam received her Bachelor of Sciences with Honors in political science and economics from the University of Michigan. She is admitted to practice law in Virginia; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, and Eleventh Circuits; and the District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. She is proficient in Mandarin Chinese.

Angela graduated from UC Berkeley with honors in May 2021 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and double minors in Global Poverty & Practice and Chicana/o Studies. While in college, Angela interned at the Supreme Court of the United States and Mil Mujeres Legal Services in Washington DC. She also interned with Berkeley Law’s Consumer Justice Clinic at the East Bay Community Law Center in Berkeley and CARECEN in Los Angeles. Angela also conducted original research that looks at what sanctuary cities mean to undocumented and DACAmented Latinx living in California as part of her senior Honors Thesis. Angela is passionate about immigration law, police abolition, and gender equality. Specifically, within immigration law, she is interested in direct legal services work, the reunification process of unaccompanied children, asylum/refugee work, and 287g policy.

Angela was born and raised in California and she comes from an immigrant family background with roots in Honduras and Mexico. She is the oldest of four siblings with a thirteen-year age gap between her little sister and herself. Angela wants to attend law school in the next couple of years and hopes to become an immigration lawyer. In her free time, Angela enjoys exercising, hiking, and painting.

Prior to law school, Emily worked in Lebanon strengthening relationships between refugee and host communities. In law school, Emily was a member of UC Irvine Law’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, representing immigrants detained in the US. She also worked with Al Otro Lado’s Border Rights Project meeting with immigrants in Tijuana who were preparing to seek asylum in the U.S. Emily holds a master’s degree in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University. As an IJC Fellow with CAIR, Emily will provide direct representation through CAIR’s detained adult program.

Lorna Julien joined CAIR Coalition in 2019. She works in the Detained Adults Project Universal Representation Program providing direct representation to detained noncitizens in removal proceedings.

Lorna graduated from American University with a B.A. in Justice and Law and a minor in Psychology. After American, Lorna attended the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. There she spent much of her time during her 2L and 3L year working in Catholic’s legal clinic, Columbus Community Legal Services (CCLS). In CCLS, Lorna worked in the Family and the Law Clinic, spending most of her time working with victims of domestic violence who were seeking to apply for U visas or victims seeking Civil Protection Orders in DC Superior Court. After graduating from law school, Lorna went on to work at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). While at DOJ, Lorna worked in the Office of Enforcement Operations, assisting law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who were seeking S visas for witnesses, and then in the Office of International Affairs working on extradition and international evidence gathering matters. Lorna is excited to return to the practice of providing direct legal representation to immigrants in the U.S.

Lorna is admitted to practice law in New York.

Jessie is a PNW lifer who currently resides in the northwest corner of Washington State. She was introduced to the nonprofit sector in early 2019 when she began working on the finance team for a local domestic violence service center. She has since fallen in love with the complexity of non-profit accounting and is excited to bring her passion to CAIR Coalition’s team and mission as the Accounting Associate.

In her free time Jessie enjoys spending time with her partner and their 4 dogs and 1 cat. She also enjoys gardening, vegetarian and vegan cooking, karaoke, and sitting around a bonfire with friends.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Katie worked as a research assistant in legal and criminology research. She interned with the National Immigration Forum, where she assisted in providing immigrant integration services. Katie holds a B.A. in Sociology modified with Hispanic Studies and English from Dartmouth College. During college, she worked with individuals transitioning out of criminal detention and interned with CAIR Coalition’s Legal Orientation Program.

Jenny Kim is a Managing Attorney with CAIR Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab. Jenny brings impact litigation cases on behalf of detained immigrants in federal court.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Jenny was a Staff Attorney with the Citizenship Project at Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles. Jenny provided direct representation to clients with complex criminal and immigration histories in their immigration cases. Jenny also served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Domestic Violence Bureau of the Kings County District Attorney's Office. During law school, Jenny provided immigration legal services and conducted policy research through the University of Michigan Law School's Human Trafficking Clinic, Asylum Access Ecuador and Lutheran Social Services of New York.

Jenny graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and received her Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies from Columbia University.  Jenny is admitted to practice law in New York, California, the Central District of California, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Fourth Circuits. Jenny speaks Korean and Spanish.

Jennie joined CAIR Coalition in 2021 as a managing attorney in the Detained Adult Program. Before joining CAIR Coalition, Jennie served as the Director of Policy and Pro Bono for the American Bar Association's Commission on Immigration. While at the ABA, Jennie spent several months working at one of the Commission's two direct service projects on the Southern border, the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR). Jennie also has worked at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, Centro Presente, the Federal Programs Branch in the Civil Division at the Department of Justice, and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Jennie also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Keith P. Ellison, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Jennie graduated from Bowdoin College and received her J.D. from Yale Law School.

Elisa Lasater is currently serving Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition as the Human Resources Associate. 

Before her work at CAIR Coalition, Lasater graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and a focus on Human Resource Management. During her undergraduate years, she led multiple national organizations including Alpha Delta Pi and the Society of Excellence in Human Resources. 

Before joining CAIR Coalition, Eric worked as an immigration attorney with the Detention Project of the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) in Chicago, Illinois, and with the Immigration Legal Services/Esperanza Center of the Catholic Charities of Baltimore.  While at the NIJC, Eric focused on providing legal orientation and direct representation services to detained individuals.  He also served as a Qualified Representative (Q.R.) through the National Qualified Representatives Program (NQRP).  While at the Esperanza Center, he focused on non-detained removal defense and affirmative applications before the USCIS.  He earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law at Champaign-Urbana.

As an immigrant, Susan is inspired by past and present immigrant rights organizers who empower communities to unite against oppressive forces. Susan was an Immigration Law Fellow for Immigrants Rising, where she helped provide legal screenings for the undocumented community. She was also a fellow for the DreamSF fellowship, where she was placed at Jubilee Immigration Advocates and supported the legal services team with document filing, translation and interpretation, and meeting with clients. As a Fellow for IJC, Susan is joining CAIR Coalition where she will assist the legal team in providing universal representation for detained adults in Prince George’s County, MD.

Michael joined CAIR Coalition in 2014. He is responsible for the oversight of the screening, placement, and mentoring of pro bono cases with members of the private bar. Michael serves as the CAIR Coalition liaison to law firms and the broader non-profit community, as well as directly represents children in removal proceedings.  Michael also oversees all aspects of CAIR Coalition's operations. 

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Michael was a senior associate at Paul Hastings where he focused on environmental matters and served as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the firm’s DC Office. In addition to his commercial portfolio and pro bono responsibilities, Michael worked on many direct representation matters for pro bono clients, including immigration, non-profit governance, landlord/tenant, and contract matters. Michael received his J.D. from Hofstra School of Law.

Monica is a Filipino who moved to the United States in 2008. She developed an interest in social justice advocacy while obtaining her J.D. at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Before joining CAIR Coalition, Monica was a staff attorney with Catholic Charities of Baltimore
representing victims of crime and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who were seeking humanitarian forms of relief. She is admitted to practice law in New York, California, and the Philippines.

As a daughter of immigrants and a critic of ineffective systems, Carla has committed herself to reforming an immigration system effectively designed to be dysfunctional. She has interned for organizations such as the CARA ProBono Project where she prepared asylum seekers for their credible fear interviews, and Brooklyn Defender Services where she worked on crimmigration cases for clients who could not afford an attorney. Carla is honored to continue this work through her host organization, CAIR Coalition, where she will work to support attorneys in removal defense and defensive asylum cases.

Khatia Mikadze is a Legal Fellow through the Gallogly Family Foundation Public Interest Law Fellowship program. Through her proposed fellowship, Khatia closely works with CAIR's Immigration Impact Lab and DAP teams and aims to bridge the gap between impact litigation in federal courts and the need for direct representation in local immigration courts in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region. Khatia graduated from American University's Washington College of Law (WCL) where she served as a Student Attorney at the WCL Immigrant Justice Clinic representing detainees in their merits cases, and other clients in affirmative applications, including SIJS. While at law school, she also served as a Co-Director of the International Refugee Assistance Project's student chapter where she organized students to draft and submit multiple comments to oppose arbitrary agency rules affecting asylum seekers. Khatia is a proud fellow of Sonia and Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship program and has clerked for an administrative judge in D.C. Before law school, Khatia worked for the NYC government managing the largest immigration legal services grant programs in the country and she has volunteered at South Texas Family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and refugees in Bologna, Italy. Khatia received Equal Justice Works' Regional Public Interest Award in 2020 and is a proud recipient of the Robert A. Shuker Scholarship Public Interest Fund.

Nick joined CAIR Coalition's Detained Children's Program as a Staff Attorney in September 2021.

Nick is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, Nick interned with CAIR Coalition, Kids in Need of Defense, and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Prior to law school, Nick worked as a statistical analyst in the Education Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where he helped develop an online education statistics portal and helped publish a series of policy briefs promoting evidence-based policymaking in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to his time at the IDB, Nick worked as a member of the Government Relations Team at the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, where he represented the organization and its constituents in meetings with members of Congress on immigration policy, with a focus on family detention and unaccompanied children.

Laura joined CAIR Coalition in 2019 with the detained children’s program. Before joining CAIR Coalition, she was the managing attorney of the Houston office of Human Rights First, where she trained and mentored volunteer lawyers in the pro bono representation of asylum seekers, coordinated pro se assistance projects, and supported the advocacy team on issues of U.S. asylum law, policies, and practices.

Before moving to Houston, Laura was a staff attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Human Rights First and a staff attorney with Ayuda, where she specialized in representing child clients and survivors of domestic violence. Before joining Ayuda, Laura was a Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), where she recruited, trained, and mentored volunteer attorneys in the representation of unaccompanied children. Laura began her career as a Legal Fellow at the American Immigration Counsel. She has also worked as pro bono fellow at a large law firm in Washington, D.C. and as a VAWA Staff Attorney with the Esperanza Center of Catholic Charities of Baltimore.

Laura has a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. She speaks fluent Spanish.

Lorena’s mixed-status family and community inspire her passion for immigrant advocacy. She studied Latin American history with a focus on immigration patterns and recent regional conflicts. Throughout her four years of college, she worked with the New Haven Legal Aid Association, helping with asylum cases, developing a volunteer program for students to work on U-Visa cases, and assisting in translations. Lorena interned with CARECEN in D.C, focusing on direct services, while also conducting research and organizing “Know-Your-Rights” workshops. While studying in Jordan, she worked with an organization providing legal services to female refugees. She recently worked with the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, working on refugee applications from the MENA region. Lorena is joining IJC to learn how to best advocate for the immigrant community, and will be placed with CAIR Coalition.

Elena grew up in D.C. and will be working as a Legal Assistant through the Avodah Service Corps program. She recently graduated from Tufts University with a degree in History and spent the past year working on a research project focused on public health in the D.C. area.

Tenacious professional with 10+ years of development and collaboration experience who is dedicated to excellence. I thrive in challenges and partnerships that forge supportive environments and are centered in integrity and bring out in others and in myself their own personal best. I am people centered and are constantly inspired and committed to the cause I stand behind.

Jason joined CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program in June 2021 after graduating from Georgetown University with a B.A. in Spanish and Psychology. He was born and raised in New York City and has lived in D.C. since 2017. Passionate about refugee rights and advocacy for immigrant populations, Jason has interned with the Immigration Law Unit of the Legal Aid Society and Immigrant Justice Corps, both in New York, and he has also worked with the Georgetown Law Center's immigration clinic, Washington Lawyers' Committee’s Workers’ Rights Clinic, and Georgetown's D.C. Schools Project. Jason also studied in Ecuador and Chile, where he was an assistant teacher in a high school English class.

Caroline joined CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program as a Staff Attorney in September 2019.

Caroline is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and American University Washington College of Law.  During law school, Caroline interned with CAIR Coalition, Ayuda, L&L Immigration, and the Arlington Immigration Court.  Prior to law school, Caroline was a corps member for Teach for America in the southern New Mexico borderlands region.

Lorena joined CAIR Coalition as a Legal Assistant with the National Qualified Representative Program in September 2021. She is a 2019 graduate of Messiah University in Pennsylvania, where she majored in Sociology and Anthropology, Spanish, and Philosophy. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she spent one year working for a sustainable development program in Costa Rica and most recently completed a one year service Fellowship with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle, WA.

Rose Richardson is a staff attorney in the Detained Adults Program. Rose is a graduate of the University of Maryland Carey School of Law. During law school, Rose interned with Catholic Charities, Maryland Legal Aid, and HIAS. Prior to law school, Rose graduated from the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Global Studies. In her free time, Rose enjoys cooking, reading, and redecorating her home.

Kelly joined CAIR Coalition in 2016. She visits various facilities in Virginia on a monthly basis providing legal services to immigrants in ICE custody. She represents people primarily with cases docketed at the Arlington Immigration Court.

Austin Rose is an Equal Justice Works fellow with the CAIR Coalition Immigration Impact lab, carrying out a two-year project sponsored by the Arnold & Porter Foundation that brings together federal habeas litigation, pro bono coordination, and public advocacy to secure the release of individuals subject to prolonged detention in the DMV region.

Austin graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University with a B.A in Government and cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Public Interest Fellow and a student representative in the Center for Applied Legal Studies, Georgetown’s asylum law clinic. He began his immigration legal career helping to represent immigrant youth in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases with the Esperanza Center in Baltimore, MD. Throughout college and law school, he interned with CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program and Immigration Impact Lab, the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, CARECEN, Migration Policy Institute, and the Institute for Women in Migration. Austin also served as a long-time organizer with the volunteer collective Sanctuary DMV. He is fluent in Spanish and an avid soccer fan.

Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Susie is a 2018 graduate of Centre College where received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Anthropology/Sociology. During her time on campus as a student, Susie was involved with the After School Program, the Office of Admission, and New Student Orientation. Susie spent time studying abroad in Costa Rica, Panama, and Spain during college, and completed internships with Kentucky Refugee Ministries in Lexington and the Spanish Education Development Center in Washington, D.C.

Susie previously worked in higher education as an Admission Counselor at Centre College. She worked closely with students and families going through the college application process, helping with recruiting students, reading applications, and scholarship selections.

Eva Salgado is currently serving Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition as the Administrative Associate. 

Eva was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in Northern Virginia.  Before her work at CAIR Coalition, Eva worked as an administrative assistant for over 15 years at Urban Analytics, a real estate and urban planning consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia.  During her free time, she enjoys traveling, going for long walks with her dogs and spending quality time with her family.

I was fortunate enough to continue to grow my passion for advocating and working with children when I interned with CAIR in 2019. I was a social services intern and I learned about the post-release process for unaccompanied minors. I was also able to work with the DUC's program, where I went to many site visits and conducted intakes with members of the team. My experience at CAIR significantly changed my career goals and made me realize I wanted to continue working with the immigrant population.

When I returned to North Carolina, I continued to learn more about immigration by working as a legal assistant and case manager in a law firm in Hickory, North Carolina. As a legal assistant, I learned more about the process for asylum, SIJS, VAWA, and U-visas. I hope to continue to learn more about immigration law and to continue to advocate for children. My future goal is to go to law school in a couple of years.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Keara worked as a legal assistant at a bilingual family law firm in Rockville, MD, while saving to travel through South America for seven months. She holds a B.A. in Politics and a concentration in International Studies from Oberlin College, where she was able to volunteer as an ESL and U.S. Citizenship instructor while pursuing her studies. 

Elizabeth Schmelzel grew up in southern Illinois and attended George Washington University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in 2007. She later received her Master's Degree in Human Rights from the London School of Economics. Elizabeth is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, where she focused largely on immigration law and criminal defense. She has worked in detention centers throughout Texas and the United Kingdom and before joining CAIR Coalition, was a legal fellow at Ayuda. Elizabeth has had the opportunity to live in Senegal, China, and the United Kingdom and is honored to have found a career allowing her to walk alongside people from all over the world.

Rebecca joined CAIR Coalition in 2019. She works in the Detained Adults Project Universal Representation Program, providing direct representation to detained noncitizens in removal proceedings. While in law school, Rebecca interned with the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Immigrant and Workers’ Rights Practice Group. She spent a semester as a legal extern for the Honorable John Robert Blakey of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. As a law student, Rebecca helped organize and lead her law school’s first pro bono service trip the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, where she and twelve other students prepared asylum seekers for Credible Fear Interviews before the Asylum Office.

Rebecca graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law and holds a B.A. from Colorado College. Prior to law school, Rebecca worked as a legal assistant at Maria Baldini-Potermin and Associates, P.C. a private immigration firm in Chicago.

Chloe was drawn to IJC by her deep personal connection to and previous work in immigration law. As the granddaughter of a Japanese-American citizen during World War II, her family experienced immigration policy at its worst. This initial connection motivated her pursuit of a career in immigration law. Chloe’s experiences working with immigrant farm workers at the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project and with children at Kids in Need of Defense further solidified her commitment to representing vulnerable immigrant communities. Chloe will be placed at CAIR Coalition in Baltimore, where she will represent detained adults seeking relief from deportation.

Sarah joined CAIR Coalition in 2018. She is responsible for supporting donor relations and outreach. Sarah assists with writing grants, planning and organizing events, and coordinating CAIR Coalition communications, including across our social media platforms.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Sarah facilitated cultural orientation courses for newly resettled refugees in an intern position for Church World Service. She then worked as a government and global trade paralegal in Washington, DC. Sarah has a master's degree in International Migration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Joined CAIR Coalition as a Program Assistant for the Detained Children’s Program in October 2019. Before working at CAIR Coalition was doing a paid internship at SOAR! Support Our aging religious! Doing administrative work for about 5 months. Yessenia also interned at CAIR Coalition in the spring of 2019 for 5 months in which she did administrative work.

Holds a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in Language and Cultural Studies from Trinity Washington University. She was very involved at her university: worked as Peer Advisor for 3 years, Reunion student worker for 2 years, and was Vice-President of the commuter student council. She also went to an alternative spring break community service trip to Selma, Alabama. She participated in Washington Model Organization of the American States 2019 and represented Honduras with some Trinity sisters. She is Salvadoran-American and looks forward to advocating for her community and those who are in need of legal service.

Jackie Tuala is a native to the Washington D.C. area. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii, majoring in Political Science. She was actively involved in the Latin American Association and Prelaw Society during the time of her undergraduate career. Jackie also has worked with latino youth groups in her community to educate and empower them to participate in community service, college preparation and team-building activities. For the period of 18 months, she was a voluntary missionary serving the people of Southern Italy. She is trilingual in English, Spanish and Italian. During her free time, Jackie enjoys dancing, playing volleyball, and spending time with her family. She plans to continue her studies in earning a Masters in Public Administration starting January 2021

Naomi Turner joined CAIR Coalition in 2019 as a member of CAIR Coalition's Operations Team. Now, in conjunction with our Volunteers and the Development Team, she works to support CAIR Coalition's Volunteer Program and Development Operations. 

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Naomi worked as a Senior Staff Coordinator for the Center for Race, Equity and Identity at Goucher College. Prior to that, she worked as a Program Aide at Hamlin Robinson School in Seattle WA, supporting students with Dyslexia. Naomi has  earned a B.A. in Religion and Sociology with a minor in Political Science from Goucher College in Baltimore MD.

Yareli joined CAIR Coalition in 2018 as a legal assistant to the Detained Adults Program, conducting direct representation support and legal research to immigrants in Virginia and Maryland.  

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Yareli worked as a legal assistant at Catholic Charities in St. Louis, MO serving immigrants in a variety of cases, including asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, TPS, and DACA. Before that, Yareli interned with the Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA), working with the St. Louis community to educate around the issues of migration justice and advocate for immigration policy change. She also has volunteered with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project in Dilley, TX. 

Yareli holds a B.A. from Saint Louis University in Political Science, International Studies, and French. A native Spanish speaker, Yareli also speaks French.

Katherine’s background as an immigrant from Dominican Republic and immigration advocate is what drew her to IJC. As a student attorney in the International Human Rights Law Clinic, she worked on defensive and affirmative asylum cases, and was exposed to Trafficking and Special Immigrant Juvenile cases. She also worked at an immigration law firm, Grossman Young and Hammond, where she assisted on defensive asylum, Temporary Protected Status, Adjustment of Status, and Consular Processing cases. As an IJC Fellow, Katherine will work at CAIR Coalition with detained immigrants in removal proceedings.

Melody Vidmar is a Staff Attorney with CAIR Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab. She brings impact litigation actions on behalf of detained immigrants in immigration and federal courts.

Melody graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where she earned her J.D. and Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies. While at Georgetown, she represented an asylum seeker in immigration court as part of Georgetown Law’s immigration clinic and conducted intake for the clinic as a staff member. Throughout her law school career, Melody worked on criminal justice and prison reform issues in Alaska and Massachusetts through the ACLU of Alaska and Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts. She conducted field research and advocated for fishermen in Hawaii vulnerable to forced labor practices as part of Georgetown’s Human Rights Institute.

Melody received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Anthropology and Spanish from the University of Oklahoma, summa cum laude, in 2016. She is admitted to practice law in Virginia, the Eastern and Western District Courts of Virginia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Richard joined CAIR Coalition in 2019. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Georgetown University. While in law school, Richard interned at the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia where he worked alongside Board Attorney Advisors in drafting Board decisions. He also participated in the Georgetown Street Law Program, where he taught a semester-long elective course on the DC Human Rights Act, voting rights, and constitutional and criminal law issues to students at Dunbar High School.

Prior to law school, Richard worked as a financial aid counselor, where he advised students and parents about financial aid eligibility within federal and institutional guidelines. He is dedicated to giving back to his community and volunteers at the Washington Lawyers' Committee Worker's Rights Clinic, which provides pro bono legal services for low-income workers. He also volunteers as a tutor with Project Northstar and is a member of his church's governing board.

Ellen came to law school after teaching fifth grade in a heavily immigrant community in Tennessee, desiring to address the legal issues destabilizing her students’ lives. While at Georgetown, she interned at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and served as a student representative in Georgetown’s asylum clinic and Appellate Litigation Clinic. Most recently, Ellen worked on a noncitizen’s Eleventh Circuit appeal challenging the determination that his crime involves moral turpitude. Ellen will be working with CAIR Coalition to expand access to counsel for detained adults in removal proceedings in Maryland.

Kelly joined CAIR Coalition in 2014. She manages the Detained Adult Program, which provides legal services to adult immigrants detained in local jails across Maryland and Virginia, direct representation, pro bono mentorship and training, and community outreach.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Kelly worked on refugee resettlement and determination briefs in Kigoma Region, Tanzania, as a subcontractor for UNHCR. She then served as the immigration legal services coordinator at CWS-Greensboro, piloting the office’s first legal clinic. Kelly graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Law. 

Kwame joined CAIR Coalition in 2020 as a staff attorney in the Detained Children’s Program.  Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, he represented children and parents in the District of Columbia Superior Court involved in the abuse and neglect system.  The District of Columbia Superior Court appointed Kwame to help an undocumented youth involved in a Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) case pursue Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) as well.  Kwame gained additional experience with SIJS cases through pro-bono opportunities with Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and through contract work with Mil Mujeres Legal Services.  He received his law degree from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. 

Emily graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021 with a degree in Anthropology: Global Health and the Environment and minors in Writing and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is currently an Avodah Service Corps fellow and she is from Bethesda, Maryland.