Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center's staff includes licensed attorneys, paralegals, and Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited representatives. NIJC staff speak a variety of languages, including Spanish, French, Mandarin, Urdu, and Punjabi.
Michele Amatangelo is the resource development director for NIJC. Michele previously served as a Sudan Program Manager at USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives in Washington, D.C. Prior to USAID, she spent a number of years in the private sector and also served as an economic development volunteer in the Peace Corps in Honduras. She received a bachelor of science in finance from Boston College and an master's of science in foreign service with a certificate in refugee and humanitarian emergencies from Georgetown University. Contact Michele at mamatangelo-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Dusty Aráujo is the coordinator for NIJC's Asylum Documentation Project. He served in a similar capacity at the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), which housed the program from 1997 until 2007. Through the program he assists hundreds of immigrants seeking asylum worldwide by providing country packets documenting human right abuses against LGBT and people with HIV. Dusty is one of the founding members of the Lesbian and Gay Parents Association, and has been involved in HIV prevention work in the Latino gay community. He has volunteered with Community United Against Violence (CUAV) since 1994, serving as a speaker to youth in middle schools and high schools. Contact Dusty at daraujo-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Sehla Ashai is a staff attorney for NIJC's Counter-Trafficking Project, where she provides immigration legal services to survivors of human trafficking, as well as asylum seekers and survivors of domestic violence. Before joining NIJC, Sehla clerked in the Eastern District of Michigan and worked as an organizer for Chicago taxi drivers. She received her Juris Doctor from University of Michigan Law School, where she received a Henry Bates and Clara Belfield Overseas Fellowship to conduct independent research on gender discrimination and citizenship law in Indian-Administered Kashmir. Sehla speaks French, Urdu, and Kashmiri. Contact Sehla at sashai-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Megan Baumann is the Asylum Project and pro bono coordinator at NIJC's Loop office. Megan screens all potential asylum cases and manages the training of and case assignments to NIJC's more than 1,000 pro bono attorneys. Prior to working on staff at NIJC, Megan interned for NIJC's asylum project as well as for another Heartland Alliance community-based immigration program. Megan also spent time researching oral narratives of human rights activists at Open Memory, a human rights organization in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, Megan received her Bachelor's of Arts in history and sociology in May 2008. Contact Megan at mbaumann-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Heather Benno is a staff attorney with NIJC's Immigrant Legal Defense Project. A 2006 graduate of Northwestern Law School, she represented clients in post-conviction proceedings through the Bluhm Legal Clinic's Center on Wrongful Convictions. She also conducted independent research on the impact of gender violence law on Palestinian women within Israel. Before starting at NIJC, she worked as an associate in the Labor & Employment practice group at Winston & Strawn LLP. She is an active community organizer, and has mobilized for local and national actions with immigrant rights advocacy groups. Contact Heather at hbenno-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Claire Bergeron is a paralegal at the NIJC loop office. Prior to joining NIJC, Claire worked as an intern and research assistant at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC, where she co-authored reports on social security “no-match” letters and the USCIS naturalization backlog. A graduate of Northwestern University, Claire obtained her bachelor's cum laude in legal studies and anthropology in June 2007.
Eric Berndt is the supervising attorney for NIJC's National Asylum Partnership on Sexual Minorities. Eric provides legal representation for LGBTQ asylum seekers and HIV-positive non-citizens and coordinates advocacy, outreach, and impact litigation on issues affecting these groups. Prior to joining NIJC, Eric worked in New York for the founders of Immigration Equality, where he handled general immigration matters with a focus on LGBTQ and HIV issues. Eric is a graduate of New York University School of Law and the College of the University of Chicago. He is licensed in New York. Contact Eric at eberndt-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Sara Doody is a paralegal with the Immigrant Legal Defense Project in NIJC's Loop and Waukegan offices. She graduated in May of 2008 with a bachelor's degree in conflict studies from DePauw University. Prior to joining NIJC, Sara lived and studied in Valparaiso, Chile in the spring of 2007. Contact Sara at sdoody-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Alexandra Fung is the staff attorney for the NIJC's childrens project. She conducts Know Your Rights presentation to unaccompanied immigrant children, represents children in immigration court, and assesses for assignment to pro bono attorneys. She is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and is bilingual in Spanish and French. Contact Alexandra at afung-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Maria Gomez is the receptionist for NIJC’s office in Pilsen. Prior to joining NIJC, Maria interned with the International Rescue Committee as a caseworker’s assistant in Miami, Florida. Maria graduated from Florida State University in 2008 with a bachelor's in international affairs and is currently enrolled as a graduate student at DePaul University. Contact Maria at mgomez-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Manoj Govindaiah is a staff attorney for the NIJC's Immigrant Children's Protection Project and also with Immigrant Legal Defense Project. He represents detained children before the Immigration Court and assists in other types of removal cases as well. Prior to joining the NIJC, Manoj was an attorney at The Immigration Project in Granite City, Illinois. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 2006. Contact Manoj at mgovindaiah-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Helen Harnett is NIJC’s director of policy. Prior to joining NIJC, Helen was the Senior Advocacy Attorney at CLINIC, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., where she advised advocates on pending state and local legislation that would affect immigrant families. Helen also founded the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the University of Baltimore School of Law and worked as a bilingual staff attorney at Farmworker Legal Services in Michigan. Helen graduated magna cum laude from American University’s Washington College of Law and is a member of the New York and Maryland state bars. Contact Helen at hharnett-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Ashley Huebner is a supervising attorney with NIJC's Asylum Project. Ashley provides training and legal support to pro bono attorneys representing asylum seekers through NIJC and also represents individuals seeking asylum and other immigration relief. Before joining NIJC, she was the judicial law clerk for the Orlando Immigration Court. She also interned with the Boston Immigration Court, Catholic Charities' immigration department in Boston, and was a law clerk for a private immigration firm. Ashley graduated from Boston University School of Law in 2007 and is licensed in the State of Illinois. Contact Ashley at ahuebner-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Althea Klein is a paralegal with the Immigrant Legal Defense Project in NIJC’s Pilsen office. Althea graduated from McGill University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hispanic literature and philosophy. She has studied at universities in Spain, Chile and Brazil. Contact Althea at aklein-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Lisa Koop is a managing attorney at NIJC, were she supervises in the asylum, trafficking and immigrant legal defense projects. Before joining NIJC, Lisa completed a two-year fellowship at the Notre Dame Legal Clinic, where she taught and supervised law students who handled immigration cases. Lisa’s immigration experience also includes work with the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project in Harlingen, Texas; Farmworker Legal Services in Michigan; the Guam Asylum Project and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Lisa graduated magna cum laude from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis in 2004. Contact Lisa at lkoop-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Hena Mansori is an attorney with NIJC's Detention Project. Hena previously volunteered with NIJC in 2002 and 2003. During law school, Hena interned with Lawyers for Children in New York and the ACLU of Illinois in Chicago, and represented clients in New York University's Immigrant Rights Clinic. Hena has also worked with the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. Hena graduated from New York University School of Law in 2006 and is licensed in the State of Illinois. Contact Hena at hmansori-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Mary Meg McCarthy has served as the director of NIJC since 1998 and oversees all aspects of NIJC’s legal services and advocacy on behalf of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers as well as programmatic and operational functions of NIJC. Under Mary Meg’s direction, NIJC has built a pro bono network of more than 700 attorneys in Chicago alone and has become the leading immigrant and human rights program in the Midwest. Prior to joining NIJC in 1998, Mary Meg practiced civil litigation at the law firm of Horvath & Lieber and served as a pro bono attorney for NIJC’s asylum project. Mary Meg is a 1989 graduate of Loyola University School of Law and is licensed by the State of Illinois. Contact Mary Meg at mmccarthy-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Amina L. Najib, staff attorney for NIJC's Immigrant Legal Defense Project, provides legal representation to immigrants in administrative applications and deportation proceedings. Prior to joining NIJC as a staff attorney, Amina worked for a private immigration firm in the Chicago area. She also previously interned with Al-Haq, a human rights NGO in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, where she advocated for the basic human rights of occupied peoples. Amina graduated from DePaul University College of Law in 2005 and is licensed in the State of Illinois. Contact Amina at anajib-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Tracy O'Dowd is NIJC's immigrant services advocate, ensuring access to housing, medical care, counseling and other services for survivors of human trafficking. She also offers training in human trafficking identification to community providers and does advocacy work on behalf of NIJC clients. Tracy completed her Masters of Social Work from Dominican University in May 2008, and as part of her studies, she spent 10 weeks in Quito, Ecuador working with the anti-trafficking project of Fundación Nuestros Jóvenes which was geared toward ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Prior to pursing her Master’s degree, Tracy spent a year in Honduras as volunteer and worked on community-based projects primarily in literacy and education. Contact Tracy at todowd-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Pearl Pickett joined NIJC in 2008 as the executive coordinator. Beyond administrative support to the director and other staff, Pearl coordinates non-legal volunteers and some fundraising activities. Pearl graduated with an honors B.A. in Latin American Studies from The University of Chicago. Contact Pearl at ppickett-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Jackie Reidelberger is a paralegal with the Immigrant Legal Defense Project and National Asylum Partnership on Sexual Minorities in NIJC's Pilsen office. In addition to working on ILD and NAPSM, Jackie coordinates NIJC's U-Visa pro bono program. Before joining NIJC, Jackie spent time in northern Mexico and Guatemala, where she studied economic development and social justice issues relating to immigration. Jackie graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies in 2007. Contact Jackie at jreidelberger-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Esperanza Rodriguez is the receptionist for NIJC’s office in downtown Chicago and helps to manage all administrative needs of the office. Esperanza has been working for NIJC since 1987. Contact Esperanza at erodriguez-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Chuck Roth is the director of litigation for NIJC. He provides legal support to pro bono attorneys and serves as the liaison for litigation cases in which NIJC acts as co-counsel with major law firms. Chuck is a 1996 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School and is licensed by the State of New York. Contact Chuck at croth-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Mony Ruiz-Velasco is the director of legal services for NIJC's Immigrant Legal Defense Project, citizenship, and gender-based protection projects. Mony worked with NIJC in 2001-2002, and afterward worked in private immigration law practice. Previously, Mony was an attorney advisor under the Attorney General's Honors Program at the Executive Office for Immigration Review. Mony is a 1999 graduate of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas and is licensed in Texas. Contact Mony at mruizvelasco-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Nora Salgado is a paralegal working with NIJC's Gender Justice Initiative and Immigrant Legal Defense Projects. Nora graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Prior to joining NIJC, she worked as a court advocate on behalf of domestic violence victims in DuPage County. Contact Nora at nsalgado-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Karolyn Talbert is a managing attorney at NIJC, where she represents immigrants in removal proceedings before the immigration court, supervises the filing of administrative applications for immigration relief, and manages NIJC’s Defenders Initiative, a project offering free technical support to criminal defense attorneys regarding the immigration consequences of crimes. Before joining NIJC, Karolyn was the attorney advisor for the immigration court in Chicago. She also interned at several nonprofit organizations including the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Farmworker Legal Services, and the Immigration Assistance Project. Karolyn graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2002 and is licensed in the state of Illinois. Contact Karolyn at ktalbert-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Tara Tidwell Cullen is associate director of communications for NIJC. She works with members of the media to tell stories about the need for fair and humane immigration laws, and manages NIJC's website and online outreach. Tara previously served as the managing editor of Cultural Survival Quarterly and has been a freelance reporter and event organizer for a number of other social justice organizations. She received a degree in journalism and international studies from Northwestern University. Contact Tara at ttidwellcullen-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Melissa Untereker, supervising attorney for NIJC's Immigrant Legal Defense Project, provides legal representation to immigrants in administrative applications and deportation proceedings. Prior to joining NIJC as a staff attorney, Melissa advocated for the rights of low-wage immigrant workers as a union organizer in the Chicago area. She also previously volunteered with NIJC as an Equal Justice Works Summer Corps member and worked at the Chicago immigration court as a legal extern. Melissa graduated from DePaul College of Law in 2006 and is licensed in the State of Illinois. Contact Melissa at muntereker-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Claudia Valenzuela is the supervising attorney for NIJC’s Detention Project. Claudia conducts legal orientation presentations to detainees and represents detainees in immigration proceedings throughout the Midwest. Prior to her graduation from the DePaul University College of Law in 2002, Claudia served as a legal intern for NIJC developing a program for outreach and legal services to Chicago’s Guatemalan and Salvadoran communities. Claudia is licensed by the State of Illinois. Contact Claudia at cvalenzuela-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Esperanza Walczak is the receptionist for NIJC’s downtown office and has provided primary office management and support for NIJC’s staff and clients for more than 20 years. Contact Esperanza at ewalczak-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.
Eleni Wolfe-Roubatis is a supervising attorney for NIJC's Detention Project. She previously interned the project as an Equal Justice Works summer corps volunteer and worked as a paralegal in NIJC’s Immigrant Legal Defense Project. While a law student at DePaul University College of Law, Eleni participated in the Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic and in the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum. Eleni currently represents individuals in immigration custody before the immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, the District Courts and the Courts of Appeals. Eleni has been a licensed attorney with the state of Illinois since 2007. Contact Eleni at ewolfe-at-heartlandalliance-dot-org.