Wu, Steven

Steven Wu

Steven Wu (he/him) is the Organizing and Policy Manager of Woori Juntos. He works with impacted Asian and migrant community members to co-create and implement a holistic policy and organizing platform that advances the full safety, agency, and vibrancy of our communities. In other efforts to advance the interests of migrant communities, Steven is the Coalition Lead of the Texas Data Quality Coalition, a group of community based organizations, health groups, and advocates that aim to pass health equity policy at the local and state level. Steven also is serving as a board member of Shift Press, a youth led media organization that helps young people in Houston move power through education and story sharing. Previously, Steven was the Health Policy Associate of the Scholars Strategy Network. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2013. 

Wong, Tom K.

Tom K. Wong

Tom K. Wong (he/him) is an associate professor of political science and founding director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, San Diego. He served as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under the Obama administration where he co-led the immigration portfolio and was recently appointed by Governor Gerry Brown to serve on the State of California 2020 Census Complete Count Committee. He is also Co-Director of the Human Rights and Migration program. His research focuses on the politics of immigration, citizenship, and migrant "illegality." As these issues have far-reaching implications, his work also explores the links between immigration, race and ethnicity, and the politics of identity. His first book, “Rights, Deportation, and Detention in the Age of Immigration Control,” analyzes the immigration control policies of twenty-five Western immigrant-receiving democracies (Stanford University Press, 2015). In analyzing over 30,000 roll call votes on immigration-related legislation in Congress since 2005, his second book, “The Politics of Immigration: Partisanship, Demographic Change, and American National Identity” (Oxford University Press, 2017), represents the most comprehensive analysis to date on the contemporary politics of immigration in the United States. Wong's research has been used by policymakers both in the U.S. and in Mexico, as well as by organizations that serve immigrant communities. Wong’s research has been used in several federal lawsuits to defend DACA, end family separation at the southern border, and prohibit indefinite child detention, among others.

Williamson, Tobin C.

Tobin C. Williamson

Tobin C. Williamson (he/him) is the Advocacy Manager for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, advancing MIRC’s policy priorities in DC and throughout the state, including promoting MIRC through traditional and social media. Previously, he served in two U.S. Congressional Offices and two Consulates General (Japan’s in Seattle and the Czech Republic’s in Chicago). His Congressional experience prioritized constituent services and community outreach, including on immigration, foreign policy, and veterans/defense issues. He was a Congressional intern on Capitol Hill and an intern with the World Affairs Council of Seattle, and also worked as a Starbucks barista. He holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, where he spent semesters abroad at Charles University (Prague, CZ) and the University of Bath (Bath, UK), and a B.S. and B.A. from the University of Central Arkansas. A native Arkansan, he recently concluded a year in the Aspen Institute Strategy Group’s Rising Leaders Program and is an active volunteer with the World Affairs Council of Maine and Uplift L.A. 

Wedding, María Torres

María Torres Wedding

María Torres Wedding (she/her) is the co-creator of Migrantes Unidos, a project that pays asylum seekers to provide peer support and think critically about how to end immigrant detention, including electronic surveillance. She is deeply committed to interdisciplinary work that centers impacted community members in program planning, service delivery, and evaluation. The groundwork for Migrantes Unidos began in her former role as Client Support Services Director and DOJ Accredited Representative at the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project. Migrantes Unidos is possible through the collaborative partnerships across three St. Louis-based entities: Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and the MICA Project. María holds a Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis. She was born in Monterrey, Mexico and currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri where she provides consulting services.

Vukovic, Anita

Anita Vukovic

Anita Vukovic (she/her) is the Messaging & Engagement Strategist at the California Immigrant Policy Center, where she translates attitudinal research into evidence-based messaging strategies that build power, understanding, and support for pro-immigrant justice. The daughter of Yugoslav immigrants, she has spent the last decade at the intersection of im/migrant, refugee, and border research, policy, and education, both domestically and internationally. Her work as a communicator also includes advocacy and storytelling development with unhoused women in Skid Row. She is always eager to connect and keep learning about narrative strategies that are trauma-informed, community-centric, and grounded in radical belonging.

Vũ, Diane Vy Nguyễn

Diane Vy Nguyễn Vũ

Diane Vy Nguyễn Vũ (she/her) is the proud daughter of Vietnamese refugees and currently serves as the Director of the Office of Community Partnerships in Montgomery County, MD. She joined OCP in 2012 as the liaison to the Asian Pacific American and Middle Eastern communities and Language Access Coordinator. She leads the county’s multicultural/lingual communications and outreach strategies, formed the county’s first internal Translations Unit with multilingual staff, and created the Montgomery County Legal Immigration Service Provider Network. Prior to joining local government, Diane was the executive director of a local Vietnamese serving nonprofit where she started as an AmeriCorps Fellow.

Viscarra, Arturo J.

Arturo J. Viscarra

Arturo J. Viscarra (he/him) is the International Program Manager for CHIRLA. Born in El Salvador, Arturo grew up in the US, where he studied law and international relations before becoming an immigration attorney and activist. For the last 4 years, Arturo has been leading a small team in Mexico for CHIRLA. Arturo and his team provide legal orientations and individual case accompaniment to asylum seekers in Mexico, offering them the latest information on US asylum, detention, and foreign policies, and their impact on Mexican immigration policies.  CHIRLA's work in Mexico is focused on supporting asylum seekers and their ability to make informed immigration decisions for themselves and their families.

Krause-Vilmar, Jina

Jina Krause-Vilmar

Jina Krause-Vilmar (she/her) is the President and CEO of Upwardly Global, and an expert in refugees, livelihoods and gender, bringing 17 years of experience in the for- and non-profit sectors. She has worked in collaboration with various UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and governments to craft and implement solutions that enable refugees and immigrants to integrate into the workforce. Prior to Upwardly Global, Jina reshaped and built HIAS’ economic integration programming in the U.S. and internationally. From 2013-2016, Jina started the Near East Foundation’s refugee portfolio in Jordan and Lebanon, advising the U.S. Department of State and USAID on Iraq and Syria response, and initiating the One Refugee Response. Jina earned her MSc in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. She has been interviewed on Al Jazeera, New York Times, Huffington Post, Guardian, CBS News and published in CNN, Times Magazine and other news outlets.

Vazquez, Laura

Laura Vazquez

Laura Vazquez  (she/her) is the Associate Director for Immigrant Integration at UnidosUS (formerly NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. She works with UnidosUS affiliates to expand and sustain their immigration legal services programs and provide additional supports for immigrants and their families. Previously at UnidosUS she conducted legislative and administrative advocacy to advance just and humane reforms to the current immigration system. Prior to UnidosUS, she served as a constituent caseworker for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, assisting D.C. residents with their pending immigration applications. As a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow, she monitored efforts to address laws passed in 1996 that impacted immigrants. Her background includes research on Mexican migration to the United States and the role of nonprofits in advocating on immigration issues. Laura holds an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of California, San Diego and a BA in Political Science and Spanish from Kenyon College.

Valdez, Daniel

Daniel Valdez

Daniel Valdez  (he/him) is Senior Director of External Affairs at Welcoming America. In his role he oversees the organization’s development, communications, marketing, and strategic partnerships. From 2015 – 2019 Daniel held roles in the programs team at Welcoming America, including Network Director. Prior to rejoining Welcoming America, Daniel served as the North Carolina and Mid-South Director for Hispanic Federation. With more than a decade of nonprofit management experience, he is passionate about helping advance the mission of organizations and communities working on systemic changes to bring greater prosperity and opportunity for everyone. Daniel’s work has centered around advocacy and education efforts on issues like civic engagement, immigrant rights, racial justice, health disparities, and economic mobility. Daniel serves on a number of boards and committees, including the New North Carolina Project Foundation, Communities In Schools – Charlotte Mecklenburg, Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, Latin American Coalition and Charlotte Pride. Daniel holds a B.A. in History and Latin American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. He was born in Acapulco, Mexico and has called the Charlotte region home for almost 25 years. 

Trujillo, Johan

Johan Trujillo

Johan Trujillo (he/him) is the Director of Training in Technology Tools for People With and Without Disabilities – with experience as customer-centric leader of diverse IT technical innovation and engineering improvement and implementation to support client strategic initiatives, operations, and process improvements for large enterprises through PDVSA – the largest oil production company in South America. In addition to his bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and Business Administration, he has advanced training and expertise on LINUX, Microsoft Windows, iOS and Android operating systems. Johan has twenty-plus years of experience interpreting for technology, construction, utility, oil & gas, medical and evangelism professionals and teams to Venezuela, Spain, Columbia and Argentina from the USA, Russia and Cuba.  An immigrant from Venezuela, Johan values integrity and morality in the processing of families during their transitions from home country to new country.  Currently living in Arkansas, he is married to Lizbeth and they have 4 children.

Torres, Dan

Dan Torres

Dan Torres  (he/him)is the Program Director for Immigrant Rights at the Haas, Jr. Fund. Before joining the Fund, he held several roles in California government. He served as the Special Assistant for Immigrant Rights for Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the first Director of Immigrant Integration in the Office of Governor Brown. While in state government, Dan led efforts to create immigrant inclusion policies and programs such as the immigration legal services and outreach program at the California Department of Social Services. Earlier in his career, Dan worked as a staff attorney at California Rural Legal Assistance, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.   

Toro, Jesús Del

Jesús Del Toro

Jesús Del Toro (he/him) is the Project Manager for the City of Chicago’s Office of New Americans. Previously, he served as District Communication Coordinator and Outreach Liaison for Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García and also served as Board Member for the United Nations Association of the USA. Jesús is a Gates Millennium Scholar and a former Mayoral Fellow. He received a B.A from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Public Policy from Loyola University-Chicago.

Tirona, Marissa

Marissa Tirona

Marissa Tirona (she/he)  joined GCIR in November 2020, bringing more than 15 years of senior leadership experience at social justice and philanthropic institutions. As President, Marissa leads the organization’s efforts to galvanize philanthropy to build a society in which everyone thrives, no matter where they were born. Previously, she was a program officer at the Ford Foundation, where she managed a multi- issue, multi-country portfolio as part of the Building Institutions and Networks (BUILD) initiative, Ford’s flagship program designed to strengthen organizations and networks core to the global social justice infrastructure. Before joining Ford in 2017, Marissa led the Blue Shield of California Foundation’s programmatic, policy, and grantmaking efforts to address, prevent, and ultimately end domestic violence and promote health equity throughout the state. Prior to that, she was senior project director at CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, where she designed and led comprehensive, multiyear leadership initiatives that developed network capacity, facilitated movement-level work, and centered communities of color. Earlier in her career, Marissa served as program director of the National Employment Lawyers Association and, before that, as an employment attorney at two national law Firms. Marissa currently serves on the boards of Change Elemental and Sadie Nash Leadership Project and previously served on the boards of numerous other organizations, including Oakland Kids First, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, Social Policy Research Associates, and the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area. She holds a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, is a member of the California State Bar, and has a B.A. in English literature with a concentration in women’s studies from Swarthmore College.

Taveras, Eddie

Eddie Taveras

Eddie Taveras (he/him) is part of the advocacy team at FWD.us, where he works on state and federal immigration reform. Previously, he has worked for presidential and senatorial campaigns focusing on fundraising, coalition outreach, and strategic communications. Eddie has also worked for a top-tier global public relations firm advancing the communications strategies for clients’ corporate narrative, executive visibility, and high-impact events. He served several higher-ed institutions as a researcher, concentrating on immigration, urban development, race and ethnicity, gender, and religion. Eddie earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the City University of New York-Brooklyn College.

Thompson, Lovette K.

Lovette K. Thompson

Lovette K. Thompson (she/her/hers), is the Lead Organizer, Black Alliance for Just Immigration. Lovette is a social justice activist, has worked at many intersections including economic and racial justice, LGBTQ and domestic workers rights, and public health education. Her work has addressed the social determinants of health, community organizing, social policy and practices for racial and class equity in marginalized communities, prison and community health, and rebuilding equitable and sustainable communities. Lovette continues her work as BAJI’s Atlanta Organizer fighting back against discriminatory policies that restrict access to social and economic necessities and protects the civil rights of historically marginalized communities.

Thanjan, Theresa

Theresa Thanjan

Theresa Thanjan (she/her) is the Senior Manager of Organizing and Strategy for NYC of the New York Immigration Coalition, where she engages 130 member agencies and partners in local, state, and federal advocacy campaigns. These include fighting for municipal voting rights, legal services funding, language access as well as a pathway to citizenship. Theresa also co-leads the #Coverage4All Campaign, which aims to provide health insurance coverage to all New Yorkers regardless of status. 

Thanh, Jacqueline

Jacqueline Thanh

Jacqueline Thanh (she/he) is Executive Director of VAYLA New Orleans. She  was voted one of 2022 Gambit New Orleans' 40 under 40 Changemakers. She is a scholar-activist and descendant of Chinese Vietnamese refugees with an extensive history in intersectional leadership development. She is a clinically trained and trauma informed human rights advocate who brings expertise in culturally integrative storytelling. Her work has ranged from multilingual therapy and case management through somatic and narrative healing as well as  programmatic development and implementation with survivors of torture, houselessness, domestic violence, and human trafficking domestically and abroad. As the Executive Director of VAYLA New Orleans, she currently leads strategic initiatives in Asian American Pacific Islander Design Justice and Social Change in New Orleans and the Gulf South. A first-generation college graduate--she holds a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Social Work and Global Health Administration and Policy Certification from the University of Chicago, and is a Social Work Doctoral Candidate at the University of Southern California. 

Suriyopas, Ivy O.

Ivy O. Suriyopas

Ivy O. Suriyopas (she/her) is Vice President of Programs for  Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR). Ivy leads GCIR’s program and policy strategy and development, funder education and engagement, and funder mobilizing and organizing. Previously, she was a program officer at Open Society Foundations, where she focused on immigrant and refugee justice, managing a multimillion-dollar portfolio and developing a strategy challenging the systems rooted in the racialized treatment of immigrants throughout US history. Prior to joining OSF, she was an attorney and director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, working at the intersection of migrants,’ workers,’ and women’s rights, providing legal representation and advocating for policy changes informed by the lived experiences of her clients.

Siegel, Tovia

Tovia Siegel

Tovia Siegel (she/her) is the Director of Healthy Illinois, a campaign to make quality, affordable healthcare coverage accessible to all people in Illinois, regardless of immigration status. She leads a coalition of stakeholders to organize and build power to change policy. Previously, Tovia was an organizer at Families Belong Together, the immigration campaign of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, to drive campaigns and shift culture to create a broad pro-immigrant base in the United States. Before that, Tovia worked at the National Immigrant Justice Center, where she coordinated a program to provide free immigration legal services and Know Your Rights trainings to Chicago residents. She holds a Bachelor’s in Sociology from University of Chicago.