Billy Roberts is the CEO of Wedge Financial Inc, a financial services company that provides innovative real-time liquidity, investing, and digital wallet solutions for customers. Previous to Wedge, Billy was the CEO of ReStream Solutions, a data-driven oilfield solutions company for the exploration and production industry, and has held positions as VP of New Product Development and Director of R&D from other emerging technologies companies.…
Monica is the Executive Director of Casa Mateo, a shelter supporting newly arrived Women and Children. Monica is a dedicated and passionate Master of Social Work committed to serving Houston’s diverse and underserved communities. She has worked in the social work space for more than a decade. She previously served as Sr. Manager of the Immigration and Citizenship Program at…
Alfredo R. Gutierrez serves as in-house counsel to Sanchez Management Corporation and its affiliated entities. He was previously in-house at an investment company, and also practiced corporate law at several international law firms. He is actively engaged in pro-bono work for a wide variety of organizations and is also a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is…
Emma is the Assistant General Counsel of Locke Lord LLP, advising the Firm and its attorneys and team members on litigation, regulatory compliance, corporate social responsibility, and ethical and professional issues. Prior to moving in-house, she was an associate at the Firm, where her practice was focused on business litigation and dispute resolution. Pro bono service has been a constant…
Dalia Castillo-Granados is the Director of the Children’s Immigration Law Academy, a project of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration. Prior to working at CILA, Dalia was a Senior Attorney at Kids in Need of Defense, a Staff Attorney at Tahirih Justice Center, a Clinical Supervising Attorney at the University of Houston’s Immigration Clinic, and began her public interest…
Cindy is a Staff Attorney with the Community Immigration Program (CIP). She was born and raised in Laredo, TX to a Mexican mother and Chinese father. Cindy graduated from Boston University in 2018 and received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in May 2023. She took the Texas Bar in July 2023 and was recently licensed to practice in…
Diana is a Staff Attorney with the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) program. Diana was born in Austin but grew up in Houston, Tx. She received her J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston in December 2020, a graduate certificate in public health from the UTHealth School of Public Health in 2015, and her B.A. from Southwestern University in…
Alexandra Villalon is a Staff Attorney with the Immigrant Children and Youth (ICY) program. She received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco, School of Law in 2023 where she developed her passion for immigration law. Alexandra received her B.A. from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2015 where she majored in International Studies. Prior to law school,…
Beatriz is a Legal Assistant with the Galveston Office. Before joining GHIRP, Beatriz worked as a bilingual teacher for over 10 years. She also worked as a client advocate in various non-profit organizations. She has a Business Degree from an accredited college in Mexico. Beatriz is passionate about helping those in need. She is very excited to be part of…
Marlyn is a Senior Accountant at GHIRP. She is a Certified International Executive Coach, holding a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rafael Urdaneta University (URU), and two master’s degree in international tax and finance from Rafael Belloso Chacín University (URBE) and Tor Vergata University of Rome (Italy). Throughout her career, Marlyn has had the privilege to work with renowned…
Keila is a Communications Specialist with GHIRP. Keila’s professional work experience includes strategic marketing, worldwide customer relationship management, and event planning, with extensive expertise in social media and website administration, regional/national/international tourism promotion of destinations, planning and coordinating special events, cooperative marketing, and general advertising. As a Communications Specialist for GHIRP, Keila handles public relations, information output, and media requests.…
Enzo Rivas is a Paralegal on the Immigrant Children & Youth team. Before joining GHIRP, they worked with Detained Adults at YMCA International Services as a Legal Assistant and later as a DOJ Accredited Representative. Enzo graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in Political Science and a minor in US Ethnic Studies. They are very dedicated to…
Anapaula is a Paralegal with the Survivors of Crime and Human Trafficking (SCP) Program. She is from Venezuela, where she earned her law degree from Rafael Belloso Chacin University. Prior to joining the team, Anapaula worked as a paralegal and advocate at the non-profit organization Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA). In AVDA, under attorney’s supervision, she provided legal…
Raquel is a Legal Assistant with the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) program. Prior to joining GHIRP, she was a legal Assistant for the Unaccompanied Children program (UCP) at the YMCA International Services (2021-2023), and she interned for the Detained Deportation Defense Program at Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center in 2021. She also started her own organization “Save TPS” in…
Dante is a Law Clerk with the Community Immigration Program. He was born and raised in Mexico City and earned his law degree from the Marista University in Mexico City. Dante practiced Criminal Law in his hometown for several years. After relocating to the U.S., he earned his Master’s degree at St. Thomas University in Miami, FL. Before joining GHIRP,…
Holly is a Senior Staff Attorney in our Galveston office. Prior to GHIRP, Holly was a supervising attorney at YMCA International Services where she represented immigrants before the immigration court and USCIS. Before beginning her career in immigration legal services, she worked as a criminal defense attorney and a high school English teacher.
Gabriela Hernandez is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Survivors of Crime and Human Trafficking (SCP) Program. She was born and raised in Houston and received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center (UHLC). While at UHLC, she participated in both the Immigration Clinic and Civil Practice Clinic and interned at other local non-profit organizations to provide services…
Teresa Henderson is a Social Services Coordinator for the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) Program. Before joining GHIRP, she worked as a Survivor Advocate and Case Manager with survivors of crimes, and as a Legal Assistant and Youth Care Worker with Unaccompanied Children. Teresa is a first-generation college graduate. She received both her undergraduate degree and a Master of Science…
Andréia is a Staff Attorney with the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) program. Prior to joining GHIRP, Andréia worked as a Staff Attorney for the YMCA International Services where she provided legal services to detained immigrants in the Houston-area detention facilities and unaccompanied minors. Andréia has represented clients before the Immigration Court, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship…
Miriam is a Social Services Coordinator for the Immigrant Children and Youth (ICY) program. She is a first-generation graduate from the University of Houston with a Masters in Macro Social Work. Prior to working at GHIRP, Miriam worked in various nonprofit settings engaging in civic engagement as well as case management. As a DACA recipient and a daughter of two…
Abigail (Abby) is a Paralegal with the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) program. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in Social Work and will earn a JD from South Texas College of Law in 2023. Before joining GHIRP, she was licensed by the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners and she completed several public…
Myah Fuqua is currently a Law Clerk with GHIRP and is transitioning into a Staff Attorney for the Detained Adult Program. Myah grew up in Nashville, TN. She received her JD from Atlanta John Marshall Law School, graduating with honors in the school’s criminal justice program. She has a passion for representing the most vulnerable communities, increasing their access to…
Guadalupe (Lupe) is a Paralegal with the Immigrant Children & Youth program. Lupe graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law & Society. Lupe is first-generation with many goals to accomplish, and a drive in serving and advocating for the immigrant community.
Samantha Davis is a 2023 Immigrant Justice Corps Fellow with GHIRP. She works with the Immigrant Children & Youth (ICY) program, serving unaccompanied children. Samantha received her J.D. from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2023. She is admitted to the Texas Bar. While at Texas A&M Law, she participated in the Immigrant Rights Clinic, representing clients in Immigration…
Rebecca is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Federal Litigation Program. Prior to joining the team, Rebecca was an associate attorney for a small immigration law firm, providing representation for clients in various aspects of immigration law, including: representation in removal proceedings, family-based petitions, naturalization, citizenship, waivers, consular processing, and other humanitarian relief. Rebecca has represented clients before the Immigration…
Sara is a First-Generation Graduate from the University of St. Thomas who obtained her Bachelorof Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Criminology. As the daughter of two immigrant parents she isvery passionate about helping those who come from vulnerable communities.
Alexa is a Managing Attorney at GHIRP and oversees our legal services for Immigrant Children & Youth program. She was previously a litigation associate attorney at a large law firm and a supervising attorney at an immigration nonprofit, where she provided pro bono representation to unaccompanied minors pursuing humanitarian relief. Alexa has represented clients before the Executive Office for Immigration…
Vanessa Perez is a GHIRP founding attorney, and previously a Supervising Attorney at the YMCA International Services. Vanessa devoted her four years at the YMCA to serving unaccompanied minors, survivors of domestic violence and other serious crimes, and survivors of human trafficking. From 2018-2020, Vanessa was an Equal Justice Works Fellow representing survivors of human trafficking and conducting outreach educating…
Liz is a founder of GHIRP and has a passion for representing detained adults and individuals with mental health issues. Previously, Liz was a Supervising Attorney at YMCA International Services for providing legal services to detained immigrants the Houston-area detention facilities. Many of Liz’s clients were detainees with serious mental illness who have been found incompetent by an Immigration Judge.…
Elizabeth (Chiqui) is the Executive Director of Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project (GHIRP), founded in 2020. Chiqui has devoted her professional career to providing high quality legal services to immigrants at non-profit organizations. Prior to starting GHIRP, she was the Director of Immigration Legal Services at the YMCA International Services (2017-2020). Throughout her career, Chiqui has represented immigrant clients before the…
