Jessica is a Senior Program Associate for the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians. Before joining Acacia, she worked at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) where she provided direct legal services to low-income immigrants in a broad range of immigration matters including, family and humanitarian-based petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, DACA and Advanced Parole. She has also volunteered with Al Otro Lado providing Know Your Rights presentations and 1-1 consultations to asylum seekers in Tijuana and with the CARA Family Detention Pro Bono Project in Dilley Texas. She has been trained to work with vulnerable indigenous migrants facing deportation using trauma-informed approaches. Jessica taught Ethnic Studies for 14 years before becoming an immigration attorney. She’s traveled to several countries on educational delegations meeting with different global community groups around the issues of migration/refugees, food justice, land rights, and climate justice. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o Studies and History from Loyola Marymount University and her master’s in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University. Jessica earned her J.D. from Peoples College of Law. She is an urban farmer, a soccer player and plays traditional son jarocho music.