Staff Directory

Debie was born in Sonsonate, El Salvador and moved to the United States at the age of 5. She was raised in Washington, D.C. and attended Columbia Heights Educational Campus. She was able to attend the University of Rochester on a full-tuition scholarship and graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Health, Behavior and Society with a minor in Latin American Studies. Debie currently lives in Maryland with her two pets and she is excited for any new opportunities.

Peter is a Senior Attorney with the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab, where he also previously served as a Boston College Public Service Legal Fellow. As an attorney with the Lab, he works on impact litigation actions before various federal courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, and engages in other advocacy efforts on behalf of detained noncitizens.

Peter is a graduate of Boston College Law School, where he completed extensive immigration-related coursework and worked on numerous immigration cases before different agencies and federal courts through both the BC Law Immigration Clinic and Ninth Circuit Appellate Project. He also spent a summer interning with the Immigration Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services and worked part-time for a year with the Boston immigration law firm Joyce and Associates. 

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.

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

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.

Yakelin joined CAIR Coalition as a Paralegal with the Detained Children’s Program in 2023.

Yakelin was born in Washington, DC to two Salvadoran parents. Her parents moved to Maryland when she was young, and she has been living there ever since. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. While at Georgetown Yakelin was actively involved in Psi Chi, an international honor society, Hermanes de Georgetown, and Georgetown University’s Pre-Law Society. In the future, Yakelin hopes to attend law school and study immigration law to further support immigrant communities.

She is bilingual in both Spanish and English.

During her free time Yakelin enjoys baking, painting, reading, and traveling.
 

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.

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the State of Virginia.

Before law school, Alex taught English in Santiago, Chile, where his father is from. Then, Alex helped launch an Immigrant-Focused Medical/Legal Partnership between OneWorld Community Health Centers Inc. and the Immigrant Legal Center of Omaha, Nebraska. During law school, Alex interned at the Douglas County Public Defender's office in Omaha, the Legal Aid Society in the Queens Criminal Trial Division, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and ACLU National Prison Project. Alex also worked as a Student-Attorney with St. Johns' Child Advocacy and Consumer Justice for the Elderly: Litigation Clinics. Alex holds a B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law. Alex enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hiking and running.

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland.

Martha Arreola is joining CAIR Coalition as a Senior Paralegal with the Detained Children's Program.

Previously, Martha worked as a Legal Services Coordinator for Human Rights First, where she screened potential clients, produced intake write-ups, and served as a liaison between staff attorneys, pro bono teams, and clients to ensure high-quality legal representation for asylum seekers. Martha also worked closely with Human Rights First’s Direct Representation Program’s clients, assisting them with their USCIS applications as well as helping them prepare for their asylum interviews and court appearances.

Martha has extensive experience working with minors. Prior to joining Human Rights First, she was an early childhood educator for a Spanish immersion program in Maryland. There, she created positive learning environments for children to develop their language, social, cognitive, and motor abilities. During her early professional years, Martha worked as a Community Engagement Specialist at a Catholic private school in Puebla, Mexico, where she planned activities meant to promote social justice. She also imparted the Educative Orientation class for high school seniors.

Martha received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla in Mexico and is a certified paralegal by the Paralegal Institute of Washington, D.C.  She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has experience in consecutive interpretation and document translation.

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.

Eleni Bakst rejoined CAIR Coalition in July 2022 as a Managing Attorney of the Maryland Universal Representation team. Previously, Eleni was an Assistant Clinical Professor at Seton Hall School of Law's Immigrants' Rights/International Human Rights Clinic where she taught a clinical seminar and mentored law students in immigration cases before the immigration courts, Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 

Before working at Seton Hall, Eleni was a Senior Attorney at CAIR Coalition, and an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Human Rights First. At Human Rights First, Eleni was co-counsel in impact litigation actions, including Damus v. McAleenan and O.A. v. Trump. She drafted amicus briefs before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Fourth Circuit. She has conducted legal, policy, and field research, as well as subsequent advocacy before the United States Congress and state and local legislatures, on overuse of immigration detention, substandard immigration detention conditions, and other barriers to seeking relief from removal. 

Eleni holds a B.A. from American University and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law. She is fluent in Spanish.

Admitted to practice in the State of New York; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Erin joined the CAIR team in July 2022 as the Communications Manager and has been working in the field of communications since 2010. As Communications Manager, she oversees the organization’s communications plan, leading the conception and implementation of all external communications.

Prior to the CAIR Coalition, Erin was the Communications Officer at Spectrum Youth & Family Services, a nonprofit that works with young people experiencing homelessness, struggling with substance use, or navigating a new community after resettling with their families in Burlington, Vermont. Before her time at Spectrum, Erin worked for Resonance, a global development consulting firm, where she implemented the firm’s communications strategies and created community education initiatives for public sector clients including USAID, DFAT, IADB, the State Department, and USAID implementers. 

Erin has had numerous other positions at the intersection of communications, fundraising, design, and digital storytelling, including teaching journalism and digital arts at Saint Michael’s College, managing fundraising communications at Shelburne Museum, creating digital exhibitions at ECHO Lake & Aquarium Center, and training artists in laser cutting and graphic design at Generator Makerspace.

Erin’s work is driven by her interest in equity and social justice models of communication and fundraising—prioritizing the entire community over our individual organization and ensuring the safety and privacy of clients while also educating the public on the societal factors that harm so many people.

Erin holds a BFA in Visual Communications from Endicott College and an MFA in Emergent Media from Champlain College. She lives in Burlington, Vermont, where she spends most of her free time riding her bike and reading science fiction and fantasy novels.

Caroline Barrow joined CAIR Coalition in 2023 as a senior attorney on the Maryland Universal Representation Team. Caroline comes to CAIR after working in both California and Texas providing removal defense services. She began her legal career with a clerkship at the San Francisco, California, Immigration Court, where she advised Immigration Judges on complex matters related to asylum and related relief.

Caroline obtained her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2018. Before law, Caroline studied Russian and International Studies at Texas A&M University. In 2013, Caroline moved to Kostanay, Kazakhstan, as a Fulbright Grantee where she taught English for two years. Caroline is fluent in Spanish and Russian. When she is not working, you can find Caroline biking in the DMV or cooking one of her favorite Russian dishes. 

Admitted to practice only in California; local practice is limited to federal immigration 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.

Admitted to practice in the State of Virginia and the State of Colorado.

F. Evan Benz joined CAIR Coalition after five years in private practice at a community law firm in North Carolina, where he focused on asylum and deportation defense, along with circuit-level appeals and district court litigation. 

Previously, Evan served as a Justice AmeriCorps Legal Fellow with MetroWest Legal Services in Framingham, MA, from 2015 to 2017. He was also a Fall Legal Fellow with the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers’ Guild in 2015.

Evan is a graduate of the UNC School of Law. During law school, Evan represented clients as a Certified Law Student Practitioner in the UNC Immigration and Human Rights Policy Clinic, served as Chief Articles & Notes Editor for the First Amendment Law Review, and received the 2L UNC Pro Bono Publico Award in recognition of his commitment to helping meet unmet legal needs in his community. He also completed legal internships at the North Carolina Justice Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Evan is proficient in Spanish and in French. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina, the three federal district courts of North Carolina, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the NC Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

Admitted to practice only in the State of North Carolina; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Ashly is currently a Senior at the University of Baltimore majoring in Criminal Justice. She hopes to go to law school and continue onto doing immigration and/or criminal law. Ashly loves to travel and try new foods.

Sara Boutrs joined CAIR Coalition as the Talent and Equity Manager in October 2022. Prior to joining CAIR, Sara supported both private and nonprofit sectors in Human Resources with a specialization in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. For the past six years, Sara has worked to enhance the employee experience through engagement, learning and development, coaching, and strategic planning all with a lens of equity and belonging.

Sara received a Bachelor's Degree in two interdisciplinary majors of Communications, Law, Economics, and Government (CLEG) and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (WGSS) from American University. She also graduated as a Policy, Politics, and Law Three Year Scholar. Since graduating, Sara has received the Society of Human Resources Management - Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential.

Katja Botchkareva is a Skadden Fellow in CAIR Coalition's Detained Adult Program representing individuals experiencing health-harming conditions in immigration detention. Before joining CAIR Coalition, Katja was a law student at Columbia Law School, where she participated in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic, worked on the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law and the Columbia Journal of Race and Law, and served as co-president of both the Society for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Student Public Interest Network. Katja has previously worked with the immigration legal team at Make the Road New York and with the health justice team at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.

My name is Citlalli Bueno Lares. I am the new Legal Orientation Program Paralegal. 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.

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition as a Senior Paralegal, April developed her experience with immigration law in both the non-profit and private legal sector.

A proud graduate of Northern Virginia Community College’s A.B.A. Accredited Paralegal Studies program, April has spent her professional life devoted to helping the immigrant community in Northern Virginia. Having seen firsthand from her family the difficulties immigrants face has only served to strengthen her focus and desire to support the immigrant community and their pursuit of the American Dream.

Itala (Tolly) Colby has been passionate about legal assistance for an alarmingly nerdy amount of her life.  She attended the College of Wooster where she completed a thesis on the impact of levels of funding for indigent defense on incarceration rates.  She has worked as an investigative intern at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender and as a paralegal at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and in private industry.  In May of this year, she received a Masters of Arts in Restorative Justice from Vermont Law And Graduate School.  She is thrilled to be joining the CAIR Coalition to help to protect the safety and dignity of those in detention. 

Isabel joined the CAIR Coalition team in August 2023 as a Development and Communications Associate. Isabel graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2021 with degrees in Government and Politics: International Relations and Anthropology. After graduation, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English in Kosovo from September 2021-April 2023. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she was a humanitarian aid volunteer working to support displaced communities at the France-UK border. Isabel is passionate about immigration and refugee advocacy and believes in creating a world where everyone has access to safe and dignified freedom of movement. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, reading, baking, and spending time with her dog. 

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.

Admitted to practice only in Virginia; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Emily serves as the NQRP Case Manager for CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program. She holds a B.A. in American Studies and Psychology from Yale University and a Master’s in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Before joining the CAIR Coalition team in 2022, Emily worked in direct service and program development at criminal legal defense, reentry, and affordable housing organizations. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing cello.

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.

Admitted to practice in DC; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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 over 90 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. 

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.

Admitted to practice only in Illinois and the District of Columbia; supervised by a member of the local bar.

Estefani is currently the Detained Children's Program Social Services Coordinator at Capital Area Immigrant Rights (CAIR) Coalition. Before joining CAIR Coalition, Estefani worked as Lead Family Engagement Specialist with OSSE's Quality Improvement Network program. Estefani has also worked at Mary's Center, the Family Place, and LIFT-DC where she gained extensive experience in social services.

Estefani obtained her B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. She is originally from El Salvador. In her free time, Estefani enjoys going on hikes, dancing, and traveling.

Evelyn was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador. She is the second daughter of three siblings. Evelyn has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and has a Master’s degree in Social Development Management from the Simon Bolivar Andean University, her studies were carried out in Ecuador. In Ecuador she worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) supporting Colombian asylum seekers for eight years. Migrated to the United States in 2015. In New York she worked with Catholic Charities Community Services for the Immigrant and Refugee Services Division with the Unaccompanied Minors program as migration counselor and supervising migration counselor for almost six years. Evelyn has extensive experience working with immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers and her ultimate goal and biggest achievement is to continue working with immigrants in need of protection, especially with immigrant children.

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.

Admitted to practice in the state of Maryland.

Richard was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and he has lived most of his life in his hometown, Vega Alta. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Subsequently, Richard worked as a statistician for an insurance company and research consultant for a marketing firm in San Juan. In 2013, he graduated summa cum laude with a master’s in business administration with majors in finance and marketing. Right after obtaining his MBA, Richard started Law School at the University of Puerto Rico, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 2016. 

From 2017 to 2020, Richard maintained an active and successful private practice as a civil and criminal attorney across the island. He devoted a significant amount of time doing voluntary pro bono work representing persons with scarce economic resources. From 2021 to 2023, Richard worked as an examiner officer/administrative judge at the Office of the Women’s Advocate of the Government of Puerto Rico. He also offered direct legal advice to the Women’s Advocate and was tasked with the writing of various legislative bills concerning women’s issues like preventing domestic violence and sexual harassment at the workplace. Richard enjoys going to the movies and writing poetry and short stories.

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.

Admitted to practice in Maryland; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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.

Admitted to practice only in Maryland; supervised by a member of the local bar.

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.

Admitted to practice only in New York; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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.

Admitted to practice in Washington, DC and New Jersey.

Thayer joined CAIR Coalition in 2022. She previously worked for Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s Family Detention Project and Proyecto Dilley, supporting their work representing detained asylum-seeking families. From 2013-2015, Thayer was an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by the Arnold & Porter Foundation at Children’s Law Center (CLC) in Washington, DC, where she represented families through Healthy Together, CLC’s medical-legal partnership.

Thayer received her Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Admitted to practice in Washington, DC and Maryland.

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.

Admitted to practice only in Virginia; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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

Admitted to practice only in Virginia; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Sam Hsieh is the Deputy Program Director for CAIR Coalition’s Immigration Impact Lab. She leads the Lab's litigation efforts and 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). She also serves as an adjunct professor at Scalia Law School, George Mason University.

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.

Admitted to practice on ly in Virginia; supervised by a member of the local bar.

Hayley is a senior attorney on the Maryland Universal Representation Team. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she worked in private practice for a five-attorney firm in Westchester County, New York, which specializes in detained removal defense and crimmigration. Previously, Hayley also worked for legal aid defending non-custodial parents facing incarceration and as a public defender in her home state of Rhode Island. In her pre-lawyer life, Hayley was an ESL teacher. Hayley has traveled to 6 continents and is working on traveling to all 50 states with her husband and their renovated 1971 Airstream trailer.

Admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Ellyn Jameson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she also earned a dual master's degree in Social Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. She did extensive work related to immigration in law school, including serving as the co-director of the student pro bono group Penn Law Immigrant Rights Project and interning at HIAS Pennsylvania and the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Following law school, she worked in private practice at Jones Day, including with the firm's Border Project pro bono initiative, and clerked on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to law school, Ellyn lived in Peru, where she co-founded and ran an educational non-profit. She is originally from upstate New York and received a bachelor's degree in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo.

Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Washington, DC pursuant to Rule 46-A; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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.

Elisa Lasater joined the CAIR Coalition team in June 2021 as a member of the People Operations (HR) team. 

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. Since graduating, Elisa has received the Society of Human Resources Management - Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential.

Born in New Orleans, and traveling to Honduras a month later, Yvette was introduced to the nomadic lifestyle, living in five countries and many states before the age of 18.  She continued this lifestyle into her late 30’s when she settled in West (by god!) Virginia.  This constant assimilation into cultures allows her to empathize with refugee children and was the primary motivation in working in this field.  An interpreter for sixteen years, she finally decided that the paralegal studies she took a lifetime ago could actually get some use at Cair Co. and here she is.

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.

Admitted to practice in Illinois; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Nereida Lopez is joining CAIR Coalition as a Staff Attorney with the Detained Children's Program.

Previously, Nereida worked as a Staff Attorney and Fellow with the National Immigrant Justice Center(NIJC) Asylum Project and their Detained Children Project in the Chicago Office, she was the recipient of Notre Dame Law School's Thomas L. Shaffer Fellowship. Her fellowship project focused on facilitating and advocating for resources on Alternatives to Detention within the asylum system. 

Nereida graduated from St. John's University, Summa Cum Laude with a double Major in Philosophy and Legal Studies and a minor in International Studies. Nereida obtained her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School where upon graduation she was the recipient of the David T. Link Award. During Law School she interned at NIJC's Indiana Office, and Community Legal Aid SoCal.

Michael is the Associate Director at CAIR Coalition, which he joined in 2014. He is responsible for oversight of the legal and operational programs of the organization, including the Detained Adult Program, the Detained Unaccompanied Children’s Program, the Immigration Impact Lab, the Finance Team, and the Operations Team. Michael assists with development, communications, and board governance and sits on the Leadership Team of CAIR Coalition. Michael also serves as a liaison to law firms and the broader non-profit community, as well as directly representing children in removal proceedings.

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 and his Masters of Public Management from the University of Maryland. 

Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.

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.

Admitted to practice in the State of New York and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals; local practice limited to federal agencies.

Maira was born and raised in Washington D.C. At the age of 11, her parents made the move to Woodbridge, VA. where she  graduated from High school, attended NOVA, then transferred to George Mason.  She currently lives in Woodbridge with her husband, they got married in 2017. Before CAIR, she worked with children in different areas such as: respite, Assistant teacher, and ABA.

Vanesa is a Legal Fellow through the Immigrant Justice Corps Justice Fellowship Program. She graduated from American University Washington College of Law (WCL) where she served as a Student Attorney in the WCL Immigrant Justice Clinic. At WCL she was also the Communication and Media Editor for the Human Rights Brief. Prior to law school, Vanesa worked as a Spanish-speaking Legal Assistant for a small workers’ compensation/medical malpractice law firm in DC.

Vanesa grew up in Columbia, MD. She has a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary where she majored in Government and minored in Chinese. She also has an associate’s degree from Howard Community College.

Aimee Mayer-Salins joined CAIR Coalition in September 2022 as a Managing Appeals Attorney. Previously, she worked at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), where she provided training and technical assistance to legal representatives, managed the BIA Pro Bono Project, and led the Remote Motions to Reopen Project. Before coming to CLINIC, Aimee was an associate attorney at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen, & Loewy LLP. She represented clients in a wide array immigration matters and helped coordinate the Boston office’s pro bono efforts. Prior to joining Fragomen, Aimee practiced removal defense and family-based immigration law at a law firm in Boston. She also completed a fellowship with Boston College’s PostDeportation Human Rights Project, where she represented foreign nationals seeking to return to the United States after deportation. Before her fellowship, Aimee served as a Judicial Law Clerk at the Board of Immigration Appeals of the U.S. Department of Justice. Aimee earned her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and government & politics from University of Maryland, College Park. She is an active member of the state bar of Massachusetts and an associate member of the Virginia State Bar.

Admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Virginia (associate member); local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Carlos graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with a Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Refugee & Humanitarian Emergencies. He represented clients at Georgetown Law's Asylum Clinic and completed legal internships at the Bronx Defenders, Whitman-Walker Health and Kids in Need of Defense.

Upon graduating from law school, Carlos completed a fellowship at the D.C. Affordable Law Firm and earned an LLM in Advocacy. He holds a B.S. from Northeastern University in Political Science and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia.

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.

Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland.

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.

Admitted to practice only in Maryland; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Jana joined CAIR Coalition’s Detained Children’s Program as a Staff Attorney in September 2022. She is a recent graduate of American University's Washington College of Law (WCL). As a law student, Jana represented clients as a student attorney in WCL's Immigrant Justice Clinic and interned with Kids in Need of Defense and HIAS. Prior to law school, Jana completed a Bachelor's in Spanish from Portland State University. She also holds a Master's in Migration and Refugee Studies and a graduate diploma in International Human Rights Law from the American University in Cairo.

Admitted to practice in Maryland; other local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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.

Admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Charles is a Staff Attorney in CAIR Coalition’s Detained Adult Program. Born and raised in Maryland, he earned his bachelor’s in psychology, with a minor in political science, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. During his time at the University of Baltimore School of Law, he was a member of the Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Team. He also spent a semester as a Rule-19 Student Attorney in the Howard County Public Defender’s office, representing indigent people through their criminal matters.

Before coming to CAIR Coalition, Charles was law clerk to the Hon. Philip S. Jackson in the Baltimore City Circuit Court. In his free time, Charles likes to listen to music, spend time with friends, and hangout with his cat.

Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland.

A Texas native, Maria received a B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, with majors in Latin American Studies (Spanish) and Mexican American Studies (Public Policy concentration). Leaving the Lone Star State for the east coast, Maria received her J.D. from Rutgers Law School in Newark in 2020, and previously worked at Seton Hall School of Law's Center for Social Justice, through New Jersey’s Detention, Deportation and Defense Initiative (DDDI) before joining CAIR in 2023.

María is fluent in Spanish.

My name is Ambar Ramirez, I was born in Honduras and emigrated to the US in 2004. I entered Florida National College where I continued my English studies. As all immigrants I came pursuing a better life for me and my family, and after a long immigration process I was able to acquired a legal status in this country, and I started working as legal assistant in the immigration field in 2010 at Immigration Group LLC, a private law firm, and then I worked as legal assistant at Michael Ortiz, P.A. In other various areas of the law from 2014 to 2022. I recently moved from Florida to Maryland to continue to grow in my professional development as a paralegal at CAIR Coalition.

Ping is a Chinese-American adoptee, born in Hunan, China and raised in Cleveland, OH. While completing a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art, they cultivated a passion for community and human connection. Using their creative outlook, natural curiosity, and learned experiences, they look to forge these connections by pursuing communication and accessibility. They love to explore new solutions or help fortify current practices at work, volunteering, or if you call them for help with a DIY home renovation you got stuck doing. Try to catch them as they bounce around city shops, drinking coffee, or petting someone's dog. 

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.

Vanessa Reyes obtained her J.D. from University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. During law school, she interned with Ayuda and Kids in Need of Defense where she worked on an array of immigration cases including asylum, T visas, and Special Immigration Juvenile Status. She also served as a student attorney for her law school’s Immigration Clinic where she worked on defensive and affirmative asylum cases. Vanessa will serve as an IJC Fellow with CAIR Coalition working in the Detained Adult Program.

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.

Admitted to practice only in Maryland; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Amy is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). She graduated Cum Laude majoring in Criminology & Criminal Justice and Government & Politics and minoring in US Latinx Studies. Her interest in advocacy started at home with her Salvadoran immigrant family. Growing up and volunteering in an immigrant community opened her eyes to the many injustices people face because of their identity. When she entered college she joined and became president of Political Latinx United for Movement and Action in Society (PLUMAS) where she helped push many successful initiatives including ending the UMD-sponsored contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She also worked for UMD's Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office and with CASA as a research and policy intern amongst other involvements. She hopes to go into the public interest field as an attorney in the future.

Besides advocacy, Amy also loves to paint, explore, go to art museums, and dance. She hopes to travel to all Latin American countries and to someday have an art piece in a museum. She enjoys taking walks in nature, spending time with her loved ones, and petting her cat Mandy.

After graduating from The Catholic University of America with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Taylor completed 2 years of long-term service with Habitat for Humanity through AmeriCorps National & VISTA. During her years of service, she worked in Denver, Colorado, teaching & leading volunteers in building six affordable homes, and in Washington, DC, supporting communications & advocate mobilization for Habitat for Humanity’s first national advocacy campaign, Cost of Home. After two years of service, Taylor continued her work with Fauquier Habitat for Humanity as the Associate Director of Engagement & Development, leading the organization’s volunteer engagement, resource development, and communications strategies. Taylor is most passionate about creating volunteer experiences that are not only meaningful to volunteers, but also help organizations build capacity to deepen their impact. In her free time, Taylor enjoys hiking, reading, and completing home renovation projects.

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.

Admitted to practice in Maryland; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Adina was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, and graduated from Barnard College in 2021 with a degree in History with a
concentration in Latin American history. Throughout her college career, she spent time volunteering at CASA de Maryland working on
their legal hotline. After graduating, she moved to Spain for a year to work as an English conversation teacher to students in a rural village.

 

César is a native of Lima, Perú and is bilingual in English and Spanish. He was raised in Brockton, Massachusetts. In 2021 César graduated from Centre College in Danville, KY with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Spanish studies. Over the past year, he has worked directly with immigrants at a law firm in Boston. He enjoys traveling to new places, playing tennis competitively and plans to attend law school.

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.

Admitted to practice in Maryland and Pennsylvania; local practice limited to immigration agencies and pro hac vice admission in federal court.

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.

Daniela is a Washingtonian native, born of Salvadoran Immigrants. Daniela is passionate to help the immigrant community as she witnessed her parents and family members grapple with gaining status in the United States. Prior to CAIR Daniela worked in a bilingual private firm in Washington, DC as a legal assistant. Daniela has knowledge in family based immigration, removal proceedings and SIJ. Daniela plans to gain more knowledge to continue help the Immigrant Community. Daniela spend her free time enjoys her free time going on walks, doing fun activities with her daughter and most importantly self-care. 

Keara first joined CAIR Coalition as a volunteer on the detention hotline and during jail visits before she accepted a job offer with the Legal Orientation Program in October 2019. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Keara worked as a legal assistant at a bilingual family law firm in Rockville, MD. She holds a B.A. in Politics and a concentration in International Studies from Oberlin College, where she had the opportunity to volunteer as an elementary school Spanish language teacher and U.S. Citizenship instructor. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, learning about marine life, and attempting to create the coziest cups of tea.

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.

Admitted to practice in the State of New York.

Emma serves as a Program Associate for CAIR Coalition's Detained Adult Program (DAP).  

Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, Emma obtained her master's degree from the London School of Economics, where she studied Migration and International Social and Public Policy. She also holds a BA in Political Science from Middlebury College. 

Emma previously worked in Democratic political consulting, where she served as a research strategist for campaigns across the US. Prior to that, she worked at the National Democratic Institute on civic engagement. She also has experience in direct service provision for immigrants and refugees at nonprofits in the US and UK.

Emma is originally from Bainbridge Island, WA. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, traveling, and spending time with her rescue dog Bowie.  

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.

Admitted to practice only in Massachusetts; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Born and raised in the Baltimore area, Jeremy Suls received his BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland College Park. He spent his time at College Park volunteering as a domestic violence liaison for the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia’s Seventh District. Jeremy returned to Baltimore to pursue his juris doctorate at the University of Baltimore. Outside of his legal studies he worked with a number of immigration non-profits in the Baltimore area, including KIND and the Esperanza center. Outside of his legal work in the United States Jeremy has also work as a legal clerk for the Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente of Chile in the División de Sanción y Cumplimiento. He also served as a rule 19 attorney with the Public Defender’s office in the south side Hargrove courthouse.

Jeremy has also had an accomplished career as a chef de partie, working in restaurants ranging from turn and burn high volume operations to upscale fine dining establishments. Despite hanging up his chef’s checks his passion for cooking and good food remains.

In his spare time Jeremy enjoys cooking for the people he loves, spending time outdoors foraging, hiking and camping, working on cars, and watching movies.

Admitted to practice in the State of Maryland.

Charlie Tabor graduated from the University of Richmond in 2022 where he majored in History. Prior to becoming a Paralegal, he interned at CAIR Coalition between January and June of 2023.

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.

Adriana Torres was born and raised in El Salvador. As an immigrant, she knows the obstacles that bar immigrant children and their families from having a successful future in the United States, which has inspired her to pursue a path in immigration law. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she spent three years working as a paralegal at an immigration Law firm in Fairfax, VA. As a side project, Adriana enjoys mentoring undocumented high school students to pursue higher education in the United States. Adriana obtained her associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies from Northern Virginia Community College and is working towards her bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Organization Development at George Mason University. Adriana plans to go to law school to become an immigration attorney. In her free time, Adriana likes to do outside activities, bake and spend time with her family and friends.

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

Diego Urbina is a Mexican immigrant whose formative years in Los Angeles, California, were shaped by the fight to overturn Proposition 187, an effort to deny undocumented immigrants essential public services, healthcare, and welfare. Though a federal court ultimately found Proposition 187 unconstitutional, Diego's struggle for human rights ingrained him with a deep desire to always fight for social justice.

Diego earned his Bachelor of Science in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology from Highland's University in New Mexico. He then joined the United States Army, serving on two combat deployments. Diego separated from active duty in 2015 and joined the Morrison Child and Family Services' Senderos program, a secure Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) facility. As a milieu supervisor, Diego was a key member in building two federally funded ORR programs, with a strong emphasis on therapeutic approaches for recently arrived children. The program also helped children integrate with immigrant communities in the Portland metro area. This therapeutic-first approach allowed him to combine his passion for working with adolescents and immigrants while treating all unaccompanied children under his team's care with dignity and respect.

Diego earned his Master's in Criminology from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He relocated to the DC area in 2017 where he joined the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) team as a Youth Development Specialist within the wellness center at Northwood High School. At NCCF, Diego focused on improving academic achievement, supporting emotional and psychological development, and connecting students to legal representation for their immigration cases.

Diego has recently returned from a three-year mobilization tour with his Army Reserve Unit and looks forward to joining CAIR as a Social Service Case Manger for the Detained Unaccompanied Children’s Program and contributing to its mission to bring equal justice for all immigrants at risk of detention and deportation.

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.

Admitted to practice in the State of New York; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

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. 

Admitted to practice in North Carolina; local practice limited to federal immigration agencies.

Emma was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 with a B.A in Mexican-American Studies and a B.S in Communications. Prior to joining CAIR Coalition, she was a legal assistant in the Removal Defense Unit at RAICES. Emma is passionate about serving the immigrant community and advocating for the liberation of those experiencing detention. She enjoys spending time with her dog, Bishop, talking about her hometown of Brownsville, and cooking for her friends.

Emily Zitner (she/her) is excited to join CAIR Coalition as a Legal Orientation Program Legal Assistant. Emily graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2021 with a degree in Anthropology: Global Health and the Environment. She then spent a year working as an Avodah Legal Fellow on the LOP team and is looking forward to rejoining the team in this new capacity.