Washington, D.C. – The Acacia Center for Justice is pleased to announce that Shaina Aber will join the organization as the inaugural Executive Director. The Acacia Center for Justice (“Acacia”) is a new nonprofit created to expand on the immigration legal services work conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice for more than fifteen years through the funding and independent management of networks of legal organizations supporting and defending immigrants at risk of detention or deportation across the country.
Shaina joins Acacia from the Vera Institute of Justice where she has overseen the implementation of several federal government contracts and worked alongside immigration legal defense and services providers across the country. Shaina is a dedicated advocate in the pursuit of advancing due process and human rights and challenging the immigration detention and deportation systems. Her focus on leading in community and centering the needs of impacted people will be critical as Acacia builds out its work.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Acacia and to continue the work partnering with expert legal services organizations across the country to fortify the legal access and defense infrastructure for immigrants facing deportation and detention. The immigration system in our nation places hundreds of thousands of people a year through an adversarial process in which their lives, liberty, and family unity are at risk. Too often these individuals lack the most important tool necessary to meaningfully defend their rights. Our work at Acacia will continue a promising legacy of support, collaboration and coordination among a community of organizations dedicated to meeting the challenges of access to justice for immigrants in need of representation,” said Shaina Aber, Executive Director.
This is a pivotal moment for Acacia as an organization and Shaina’s expertise, energy, and vision will support the organization in becoming a powerful force in the advancement of high quality legal services and counsel for immigrants in the United States.
