Hey John,
My name is Denia Pérez, and I am the Legal Services Manager here at Immigrants Rising.
Here is my story.
Though I am new in this role, I am not new to Immigrants Rising. I joined the organization (way back when it was called Educators for Fair Consideration) as a New American Scholar in 2010. Back then, I was part of the initial legal services team as a Legal Advocate and then as the Legal Services Coordinator. During my time at Immigrants Rising, I became the first DACA recipient in the nation to earn a BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals)-accredited representative.
Armed with the knowledge and experience I gained from Immigrants Rising, I went on to law school — a dream of mine since the eighth grade — and became the first DACA recipient to be admitted to the Connecticut bar.
Immigration law wasn’t something that I originally wanted to get into, but because I knew how hard it is for people to get status, I was determined to find a way to advocate for other undocumented people.
I honed my skills at Make the Road New York working on deportation defense as an Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) fellow and then as a policy advisor at the New York City Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs focusing on immigrant access to justice. Now I’m back home again at Immigrants Rising, and I am excited to lead the program that I helped build over a decade ago.
Like me, Immigrants Rising’s Legal Services program has grown tremendously during my time away. As an experienced attorney, I am eager to continue serving the community I come from by bolstering our Pre-Law Program, which will help many others to follow in my footsteps and pursue a legal profession without having to worry about their status. But above all, I am excited to contribute to Immigrants Rising’s mission of empowering undocumented young people to reach their educational and career goals, whatever they may be. With Immigrants Rising by my side, I was able to reach my own goals, and I can’t wait to help others get there!
Watch my story here.
Glad to be home with you,
Denia
Denia Pérez, Esq.
Legal Services Manager
Immigrants Rising
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