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Dear friends and colleagues,

I am writing to share some news: after over five years as Executive Director and ten years on staff, I have decided to move on to the next chapter and will be transitioning out of my role at the Immigrant Defense Project.

I’m proud to be leaving IDP in excellent fiscal health and in the hands of our formidable leadership team: Mizue Aizeki, who will serve as Interim Executive Director; Marie Mark, Director of Legal Support and Resources; and Lee Wang, who recently returned to IDP as Director of Strategic Initiatives. They have begun this work through an inclusive effort that engages staff and close partners in transition planning. I will step down on October 9 and will be available as an advisor to the Leadership Team through the transition.

I first joined IDP fresh out of law school as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and just the fifth full-time staffer. I had long admired IDP’s work, as well as the many brilliant and passionate people I met in IDP’s orbit—whether as volunteers, staff or former staff, grassroots partners, public defenders, law school professors, or supporters. It is with mixed emotions that I leave an organization that has meant so much to me.

I have been humbled and honored to take on different leadership roles at IDP over the years. During my time at IDP, I have felt perhaps most appreciative to be surrounded by our amazing staff and the incredible community of people who support this work. I have watched those of you in the IDP community use your deep skills, energy, and passion toward achieving justice for those caught up in our racist and immoral criminal and deportation systems. And I have seen how your commitment to the idea that no one is disposable manifests daily in our work, making a difference in so many lives.

As the criminalization of immigrants has become increasingly entrenched, IDP has faced this challenge with a determination and creativity that has fueled the organization’s substantial growth. In the courts, IDP has continued to trailblaze arguments and develop new areas of expertise on detention and immigration policing, all while expanding support for criminal defense attorneys. In our advocacy work, we continue to fight the criminalization of immigrants on the federal level, including through the introduction of the New Way Forward bill and our narrative strategy work. IDP has also built visionary state and local campaigns including ICE Out of Courts, One Day to Protect New Yorkers, and the Justice Roadmap coalition, which unites criminal justice and immigrant rights organizations in a shared agenda for progressive change. In support of community organizing, IDP has developed widely-used Know Your Rights resources that center people who have contact with the criminal legal system. In the
face of unrelenting attacks on immigrant communities, IDP has become a hub for monitoring ICE raids and tracking trends including ICE surveillance and technology.

I am so proud of the organization that IDP’s staff, advisory board, volunteers, and supporters have built. Together, we’ve grown into one of the country’s leading voices fighting criminalization at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems. I am especially grateful to Manny Vargas, whose vision launched IDP more than 20 years ago, for his trust and support over the years. And I look forward to joining the ranks of IDP’s engaged circle of supporters going forward.

I cannot thank you all enough for your collaboration and support over the years. Wishing you all much resilience during these difficult times.

With appreciation,
Alisa

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