Rebecca Lightsey is the Executive Director of American Gateways. She is an experienced nonprofit leader and legal advocate for vulnerable populations. Rebecca has held positions as Executive Director of Texas Appleseed and SafePlace; most recently she was the Interim Executive Director at Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas. She has also served in leadership positions in state government, including as an Assistant General Counsel to Gov. Ann Richards. Rebecca has worked with immigrant communities throughout her career. She holds a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and has won several public service awards including the J. Chrys Dougherty Legal Services Award and the TX Outstanding Public Servant Award. She is an avid traveller and particularly enjoys countries in the Global South.

Edna Yang is the Assistant Executive Director of American Gateways, formerly the Political Asylum Project of Austin (PAPA). She served as the agency’s Interim Executive Director for American Gateways in 2012, Legal Director from 2006 – 2015, and as a Staff Attorney from 2002 – 2006. She began her work providing direct representation to immigrants seeking relief under the immigration provisions of Violence Against Women Act. She then expanded her practice to include asylum and removal defense, detention work, and family-based immigration representation. She also conducts training sessions for law enforcement officials and social service providers throughout Central Texas and the United States about how to work with, and provide services to, immigrants in the community. Edna received her B.A. in Russian Language and Literature and Political Science from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. and a M.A. in International Studies from American University in Washington, DC.

Natalia has worked with American Gateways since 2009. She is a graduate of Catholic University, The Columbus School of Law (J.D. 2009). While in law school she was the recipient of the Dulin Haynes Law and Public Policy Fellowship, the Weissman Fellowship, and the Dean’s Award for outstanding service to the law school community. Prior to working with American Gateways, Natalia worked in the field of immigrant justice. She organized day laborers, developed education materials for domestic workers, and volunteered with public policy and direct service organizations serving the immigrant community. Natalia is a native of Michigan and has called Austin since 2009. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and a proud Paraguayan-American.

Griselda has worked with American Gateways since 2008, first as a DOJ Accredited Representative and most recently as Co-Director of Programs and Operations. Griselda oversees the Legal Orientation Program at the adult and family immigrant detention centers, the Immigration Court Help Desk at the San Antonio Immigration Court and various other San Antonio programs. In addition, Griselda represents detained individuals in their removal proceedings and assists individuals with family petitions. She is a graduate of San Antonio College and Texas Careers. Prior to joining American Gateways, Griselda worked as a paralegal for over seven years in a private immigration firm. She was born in Monterrey, Mexico and raised in San Antonio, TX. She has four children and directs a youth sports program. She is fluent in Spanish.

Bobby has worked with American Gateways since 2014. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Law (J.D. 2012) and Macalester College (B.A. 2009). While in law school, Bobby was a recipient of the Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowship and worked as a student attorney with the Immigration and Human Rights Clinic. He spent his summers working as an intern with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland and as a Consultant with the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation in Berlin, Germany. Before joining American Gateways, Bobby was a VISTA Staff Attorney with The Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis, where he worked with asylum seekers. Bobby is a native of Madison, WI and enjoys the outdoors. He is fluent in Spanish.

Elizabeth has been working with American Gateways since 2015. In 2007, she attended classes at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in San Antonio, TX, where she studied Spanish under a scholarship from the City. Elizabeth was also recognized by the board of the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) for her efforts in providing students with needed support and developing unity within the community. Prior to joining American Gateways, Elizabeth worked with private immigration law firms, the Office of the City Attorney for San Antonio, SAISD, and the North East Independent School District. She has vivid memories of her father’s bedtime stories recounting how he came to the United States from Mexico. The difficulties he described affect Elizabeth to this day and inform her approach to immigration services. She is fluent in Spanish.

Analí has worked with American Gateways since early 2015. She represents clients in a variety of family-based cases, crime victim visas, and removal defense. She is a graduate of Baylor University, (B.A. 2007 and J.D. 2014). Analí is a Waco native and has a passion for serving immigrants in her home community. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with family. She is fluent in Spanish.

Erika works as a Legal Assistant and performs administrative and operational duties including client intake, translation services, and supporting the Legal Orientation Program. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at Austin with an associate’s degree in Applied Science (2012) and received a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Management (2013) from The Art Institute at Austin. Prior to joining American Gateways, Erika served in the United States Coast Guard (2000-2009) and was stationed in Florida for four years and then in Texas for five years. As a Yeoman in the military, she was entrusted with personnel records and financial transactions, and served as an official translator for government partners. Erika is from Sullivan City, TX and enjoys cooking, traveling, photography, and spending time with her family and three Yorkie fur-babies. She is fluent in Spanish.

Whitney joined American Gateways as a Staff Attorney in the fall of 2016.  She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.A., summa cum laude, 2010) and the University of Texas School of Law (J.D. with high honors, 2014).  During law school, Whitney served as Executive Editor of the Texas International Law Journal and participated in the Immigration Clinic and Actual Innocence Clinic as a student attorney.  She interned during the summers at American Gateways and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Following law school, Whitney served as a law clerk for Judge Priscilla R. Owen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and then as a legal fellow at The Advocates for Human Rights in Minneapolis.  Whitney speaks Spanish and is excited to be working with immigrant communities in Central Texas again.

Priscilla joined American Gateways in 2015 as a Staff Attorney. Prior to that, she worked with the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP) in Boston, MA advocating on behalf of individuals experiencing housing discrimination. During her time with MBHP, Priscilla worked with the Urban Institute in conducting a research study examining racial discrimination in the Greater Boston housing market. Priscilla previously served as a Legal Fellow with International Justice Mission, providing legal support and expertise to survivors of human trafficking in the Philippines. Priscilla is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law (J.D. 2010) and is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts. She is a Texas native and enjoys running. Priscilla is proficient in Spanish.

Lora worked with American Gateways from 2002 – 2008 and returned to the organization in 2012. After providing direct legal services as a DOJ Accredited Representative for several years, Lora transitioned into the role of Development Coordinator in 2018.  She is a graduate of Wittenberg University (B.A. 1998). Since moving to Texas in 1998, Lora has had the privilege of working with various local nonprofits serving the Austin community including Casa Marianella, SafePlace, and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. Lora is from Cincinnati, OH, is married, and enjoys traveling. She is fluent in Spanish.

Claudia joined American Gateways in April 2010 as the Screening and Referral Specialist. She became an Accredited Representative in 2015, allowing her to assist immigrants in legal proceedings before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Claudia is originally from Mexico and grew up in Austin, TX. She is committed to serving immigrants like herself, in her home community. She enjoys foreign films and sightseeing. She is fluent in Spanish.

Blanca started with American Gateways in 2014 as a Legal Assistant and is currently a Legal Orientation Program (LOP) Caseworker. She provides legal orientations and conducts pro se workshops under the LOP for detained immigrants at three adult and family immigrant detention centers in South Texas. Blanca worked with several private immigration law firms, starting in 1999, prior to joining American Gateways. She has over 12 years of experience in legal settings and immigration procedures. Blanca loves the beach and spending time with her family, especially her grandbabies. She is fluent in Spanish.

Lorena started with American Gateways in 2016 as a Legal Orientation Program (LOP) Caseworker. She provides legal orientations and conducts pro se workshops for detained immigrants. She provides the LOP at two different adult and female detention centers in South Texas as well as at the Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) for non-detained respondents. She also meets with pro se respondents and assists with the completion of asylum applications. Lorena has over 10 years experience in legal settings and with immigration procedures. She spent a number of years working with several private immigration law firms prior to joining American Gateways. Lorena comes from an immigrant family, which drives her passion for helping others. She loves attending her kids’ activities and spending time with her family. Lorena is fluent in Spanish.

Jessica joined American Gateways in 2016 as an Administrative Assistant but quickly realized she wanted to be a Legal Orientation Program (LOP) Caseworker. She conducts services under the LOP at three adult and family detention centers in South Texas. She previously worked with a private immigration law firm and has over seven years of experience in immigration work. Jessica loves spending time with her husband and three children. She is very creative and enjoys helping others. She is fluent in Spanish.

Jon joined American Gateways in June 2017 in Austin, where he focuses on crime victims’ visas, asylum cases, and removal defense. He also provides consultations in partnership with the Casa Marianella Legal Clinic. He graduated from Rice University (B.A. 2006) and The University of Texas School of Law (J.D. 2013). After law school, he clerked for Judge Royce C. Lamberth on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Judge Allyson K. Duncan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He then worked in the litigation department of Baker Botts L.L.P. in Austin, taking on several pro bono asylum cases while there. Jon speaks Spanish and enjoys reading, playing board games, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Benicio Diaz is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law (J.D. 2007) and is licensed to practice law in Texas. During law school he was an intern at the Immigration Department at the Catholic Charities in New York City and an Extern with the Guanajuato Supreme Court. In 2008, after law school, he joined American Gateways. Benicio worked at American Gateways until 2015, when he moved to Salt Lake City, UT. While in Utah, he worked at Holy Cross Ministries representing clients before USCIS and EOIR. Benicio moved back to Texas in 2017 and joined American Gateways once again. He is a Texas native. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his three cats, spouse and friends.

Jessica joined American Gateways in 2017. She graduated in 2004 from St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas with an associate’s degree in Applied Science. She spent a number of years working for a private immigration law firm prior to joining American Gateways. She assists with Legal Orientation Program (LOP), meets with pro se clients and assists with completing asylum applications, translates various documents and performs a variety of office duties including client intakes and screening. Jessica comes from an immigrant family which drives her passion for helping others who have been in her same situation. She loves spending time outdoors with her family. She is fluent in Spanish.

Luz joined American Gateways in late 2017. She is a Waco native and new to immigration law but happy to give back to her own community. In her free time, Luz enjoys Disney and singing along to musicals. She is a native Spanish speaker and continues to improve her conversational French.

Sarahi joined American Gateways in June 2018 as a Legal Caseworker and Volunteer Coordinator. She was born in Piedras Negras, Mexico and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She has an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies. Prior to joining American Gateways, Sarahi worked as a paralegal with private immigration law firms and most recently worked with RAICES. She loves traveling with her family and attending her children’s sports events. She is fluent in Spanish.

Since January 2018, Chris has been working part-time as American Gateways’ accountant. He graduated from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth in 1972 with a B.B.A. degree in Accounting. During this time he also served six years with the Texas Air National Guard. His career in public accounting has included such organizations as Texas Woman’s University, the Texas State Auditor’s Office, Planned Parenthood of West Texas, Midland Presbyterian Homes (Manor Park), and the Texas Civil Rights Project. Chris also has an extensive volunteer background. He served as treasurer on the original board of Denton County Friends of the Family, a battered women’s shelter. He volunteered at the Denton Area Crisis Center, providing community resource and referral services. He was an EMT with a volunteer fire department and a certified CPR instructor for the American Heart Association. In Midland, he volunteered at Casa de Amigos and tutored middle school students in math. Since arriving in Austin in 1997, he has volunteered with Meals on Wheels, delivering meals to the elderly and homebound.

Deborah joined American Gateways in the fall of 2018 as a staff attorney. She graduated from The George Washington University (B.A. 2012) and the University of Puerto Rico School of Law (J.D. 2015). She is currently admitted to practice law in Puerto Rico. During her studies, she focused on issues of international development, human rights, human trafficking, and immigration. Prior to coming to American Gateways, she was a senior staff attorney at ProBAR Children’s Project, where she provided legal services to detained unaccompanied minors in the Rio Grande Valley.

Annabel joined American Gateways as a Staff Attorney in 2019.  She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., Government, 2003) and Northwestern School of Law Lewis and Clark College (J.D., 2007). Annabel practiced in both education law and health care law before practicing immigration law.  While volunteering at several pro-bono immigration clinics she realized that she wanted to make a difference in the immigrant community. Seeing the daily struggles of immigrants/refugees and listening to their harrowing stories inspired her to assist them in obtaining status.  Annabel speaks Spanish.  She enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and rescue dog.

Meredith joined American Gateways in 2019 as a staff attorney. Prior to that, she worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI) in Jena and Alexandria, Louisiana, advocating on behalf of individuals detained at LaSalle ICE Processing Center and Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center. She is dedicated to providing holistic legal services to those detained and working towards ending immigration detention.

Meredith is a graduate of Tulane University and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University (J.D./D.C.L 2015) and is licensed to practice law in Louisiana. She is proficient in Spanish and French. In her spare time she enjoys hiking with her dog, yoga, and hanging out with friends and family.

Gema was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Social Work and a minor in Government. She previously interned for The University of Texas Law School Immigration Clinic. Gema enjoys baking, hanging with her dog, and watching documentaries.

Esther graduated from The University of Texas with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Sociology. Her passion for working with immigrant communities is rooted from her experience as the daughter of immigrants and growing up visiting her parents’ home countries of Honduras and Mexico. Prior to joining the team at American Gateways, she worked with Refugee Services of Texas and Foster, LLP. Esther is a native Houstonian and enjoys reading and traveling.

Viridiana started with American Gateways in August 2018. She was born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She has an associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies and works with American Gateways as a legal assistant and LOP case worker. Viri provides pro se workshops under the LOP for detained immigrants at adult and family immigrant detention centers in South Texas. Viri has worked with several private firms since 2011. She has over 6 years of experience in immigration work. Viri is a big football fan and her favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. She also loves to spend time with her family. She is fluent in Spanish.

Maria joined American Gateways in September of 2018 as a Legal Caseworker after working for three years as a paralegal at a private immigration firm. Maria graduated in May 2018 from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in Health. She also provides LOP for male adults and children at the Karnes County Residential Center. Coming from a family of immigrants gives Maria the determination needed to work in this field and drives her to help others. In her free time, she loves traveling and spending time with her family. She is fluent in Spanish.

Krista joined American Gateways in early 2019. She joined our Waco office, where she focuses on VAWA and crime victims’ visas. She graduated from Baylor University (2017) with her Master of Arts in Spanish with a focus on Spanish Linguistics and from Whitworth University (2015) with her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, with minors in Psychology and Latin-American Studies. Prior to joining American Gateways, she worked as the Bilingual Legal Advocate for Family Abuse Center, serving low-income survivors of domestic violence. She enjoys learning new languages and spending time with her family and two cats. Krista is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.

Cristina returned to American Gateways as a Staff Attorney in 2019. Prior to rejoining American Gateways, she worked as an immigration attorney at the Law Office of Karen Crawford in Austin, Texas, providing direct representation to clients in a wide range of immigration matters, including family-based petitions, adjustment of status, naturalization, U Visas, and asylum. She also served as a DACA Fellow at American Gateways in 2014. Cristina obtained her undergraduate degree in Romance Languages and Literatures from Harvard University. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law (2013), where she also received an M.A. in Latin American Studies. As a law student, she participated in the Immigration Clinic, volunteered with the Pro Bono Program, and interned at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica. Cristina’s M.A. thesis explored the lived experiences of undocumented students in higher education. She has published extensively about the DREAM Act and DACA while presenting her research at academic conferences. A native of San Antonio, TX with roots along the Texas-Mexico border, Cristina speaks Spanish and enjoys yoga.

Stevie joined American Gateways in 2019. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s Individual Studies program (B.A.) and King’s College London’s Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies program (M.A.). Prior to graduate school she developed social inclusion programs for young people in Ireland and Uganda and was a panelist speaker at the World Youth Congress in Istanbul (2010). She later conducted parliamentary research at the UK House of Commons, created outreach campaigns at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, acted as an interdepartmental liaison at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and coordinated the Human Mobility program at a refugee shelter in Mexico City. Stevie learned Spanish by couchsurfing through South America, working on farms in border regions, editing academic texts on language mixing in the Andes, and volunteering at citizenship workshops in Chicago.

Marco joined American Gateways in 2019. He was born and raised in Mexico City. Marco attended law school in Mexico before immigrating to the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio (B.A., 2011) and South Texas College of Law Houston (J.D., 2015). During law school, Marco represented clients facing immigration removal proceedings as part of his immigration clinic. He is licensed to practice law in Texas. Before joining American Gateways, Marco practiced criminal and immigration law in a private law firm. Marco speaks Spanish and enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.

Rosa Campos Hernandez is the Grants and Operations Manager for American Gateways. She’s a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting, and Masters in Public Affairs and Law degrees. She began her career assisting indigent clients with contested custody domestic relations issues and ensuring the health and safety of people in nursing homes. As Chief of Staff and General Counsel for a state senator from South Texas, she managed staff in three different cities and directed the development of legislation and policy related to health and human services, education, and finance, focusing on its impact on residents of the Texas-Mexico border region, including immigrants. She has served in senior project management, operations management, and/or chief financial officer roles for various state agencies and non-profit organizations, helping to improve program outcomes and financial operations by leading strategic planning and process improvement projects. Rosa is a native Austinite, fluent in Spanish, licensed to practice law in Texas, and committed to serving immigrant and underserved communities.

As Screening, Intake, and Referral Specialist, Maureen meets with those seeking legal services from American Gateways’ Austin office and works with them to apply for a consultation.  She also provides general information related to immigration as well as other community resources.  For more information about applying for services you can reach her at 512-478-0546 ext. 200.

Maureen graduated from the University of Texas in 1996 with a B.A. in Latin American Studies that included one year of study at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.  Subsequently she attended the University of Texas’ L.B.J. School of Public Affairs, which resulted in a position as project manager at a community development corporation.  She later earned a teaching certificate and served as a first and second grade teacher in the bilingual program at Palm Elementary School.  Maureen joined American Gateways in 2018 and is proud to work for an organization that makes such a meaningful contribution to our community.

Laura Flores-Dixit joined American Gateways in 2020. She began her career at California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF) as an Equal Justice Works Emerson Fellow where she engaged in community capacity building and represented clients in a variety of immigration matters, including family-based petitions, adjustment of status, naturalization, DACA, U visas, and VAWA self-petitions. Following her fellowship, Laura continued working at CRLAF as Co-Director of the Citizenship and Immigration Project. In that role, she was instrumental in growing CRLAF’s immigration practice and found great pleasure working with and mentoring law students through the annual summer law student clerkship program she helped develop. Laura is a graduate of Cornell University (B.A., 2010) and the University of California, Davis School of Law (J.D., 2015). She is a San Antonio native who speaks Spanish and enjoys cooking for and spending time with her family.

David Cantor is a graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law (J.D.) and the University of Miami School of Law (LL.M), and is currently licensed to practice law in Florida and the Federal Courts. During law school he was Staff Editor of the Inter-Cultural Human Rights Law Review, and interned both at the Seventeenth Circuit Court of Florida and the Public Defender’s Office of Broward County, FL. After law school, he worked as a private attorney, aiding financial and corporate institutions solve disputes, especially within the Latin American Markets.

After years of working in the corporate world, David decided to refocus his efforts and decided to join American Gateways in its quest to provide legal and advocacy services to the immigrant community of Texas. He now works as a Staff Attorney at the Immigration Court Desk Help, aiding unrepresented immigrants that are facing removal proceedings, providing them support and legal education. David is fluent in Spanish and in his spare time he likes to visit San Antonio’s museums and libraries, and teasing his nephew and nieces.

Alicia joined American Gateways as a Staff Attorney in 2020. She is a graduate from Baylor University (B.A. 2016, J.D. 2019) and is licensed to practice law in Texas. During law school Alicia was a student coordinator for the Baylor Law Immigration Clinic and completed internships with Catholic Charities in Houston and a private practice immigration attorney in Waco. As the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants, Alicia’s passion for helping the immigrant community is rooted in her family’s history. Alicia is an Oklahoma native and has called Waco home since 2013. Alicia is fluent in Spanish and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Cindy Turner graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019 where she earned her B.A. in Economics, Philosophy, and Plan II Honors. As an undergrad, she interned with several organizations devoted to social justice causes. After graduating, she volunteered part-time at the Seattle City Attorney’s office as an assistant paralegal. She is excited to return home to Texas to serve the immigrant community as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. In her free time, she enjoys running half-marathons, hiking, reading, and snuggling with her cat, Florence.

Emma grew up in Washington State and graduated from Montana State University (MSU) in May 2020, combining political science, economics, and sociology in the Directed Interdisciplinary Studies Program. She pursues a career in human rights and is particularly interested in the intersection of labor rights, displacement, gender, and exploitation. Her undergraduate thesis included seventeen interviews focused on exploitation in MSU’s supply chains. Emma had the opportunity to collaborate on community wide anti-trafficking initiatives and advocate for people impacted by sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and harassment. She worked at a shelter for people experiencing homelessness with the belief everyone deserves a warm, safe place to sleep. As an intern with MSU’s Project Solidarity, Emma was introduced to the U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities Project and international solidarity. She was honored to receive MSU’s President’s Commission on the Status of University Women 2020 Student Award. Emma is grateful for the opportunity to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA at American Gateways and looks forward to learning and supporting immigrants.