Miriam Abaya
Miriam Abaya is the Senior Director for Immigration and Children’s Rights at First Focus on Children. Abaya is Nigerian American and grew up in Jos, Nigeria. She came to the United States for school, and has a BA in music from Haverford College and a law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Before joining First Focus, Abaya was a Law & Public Policy Fellow for the Temple Law & Public Policy Program, where she researched international justice outreach on the African continent. She also worked part-time for the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, where she supported a project on victim participation in the Central African Republic's Special Criminal Court. Most recently, Abaya was a Policy Analyst at the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, where she advocated for policies that would protect the best interests and rights of unaccompanied children in government custody.