Rochelle Garza is an attorney from the Rio Grande Valley currently serving as President of the Texas Civil Rights Project, one of the most influential legal organizations dedicated to empowering Texas communities and creating policy changes in the state. Rochelle has the honor to be appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by President Biden where she will serve as commissioner until 2028. The USCCR is the oldest independent and bipartisan commission in the U.S. created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957. In 2022, Rochelle Garza became the democratic nominee for Texas Attorney General on a platform focused on voting rights, reproductive rights and government accountability. She was the first Latina to be nominated in Texas history to run for Attorney General by any major party. Rochelle is the daughter of two public school teachers. At a young age, Rochelle learned firsthand how broken our healthcare system is. Her oldest brother, Robby, suffered a brain injury during childbirth and grew up with disabilities. Rochelle watched her parents work tirelessly to ensure Robby had the care he needed. Like so many families, Rochelle knows what it’s like to make sacrifices for the health of her family. So she became a lawyer for the people –– fighting for the civil rights of children, immigrants and families and has expertise in immigration, family, criminal and constitutional law. Her work has had broad impacts on civil rights, including the “Garza Notice,” a federal requirement that ensures teens in immigration detention control their reproductive health care choices, which is still in effect till this day. Rochelle graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and from Brown University with honors. She lives with her husband, Adam, their toddler, and their dog, Ramses, in Brownsville, Texas.

Erin works on the State and Local team in TCRP's Beyond Borders Program. They work to improve border communities through legal advocacy for State and Local policies that respect the rights of migrants and those who reside in border communities.

Ashley is a Senior Staff Attorney with the Criminal Injustice Program, based in TCRP’s Austin Office. Prior to joining TCRP, Ashley was a senior litigation associate at Reid Collins & Tsai LLP in Austin as well as a litigation associate at the New York offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. While in private practice, Ashley had a robust pro bono practice ranging from asylum to Fourth Amendment violations. Ashley also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Eric N. Vitaliano of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ashley received her Juris Doctor cum laude from New York University School of law in 2015. She served as a senior notes editor for the New York University Journal of International Law and Politics, where she published a note on human rights and self-determination.

Chanel worked as a Controller for Hale CPA Group, where she was able to help clients streamline their processes and establish best accounting practices throughout their organizations. With 20+ years of experience, Chanel has consistently demonstrated a firm understanding of budgeting and corporate finance, which translates to the transparency and accuracy of an organization's financial reporting. Chanel understands the importance of civic responsibility to uphold democratic values, including justice, freedom, equity, diversity, and human rights. So, when she was given the opportunity to join TCRP, she took the baton and sprinted. Chanel looks forward to continuing to be a part of THE CHANGE!

Christina is an eighth-generation Texan and staff attorney in the Voting Rights program at TCRP. Christina was previously an assistant county attorney in Harris County, an Equal Justice Works Fellow, and a law clerk to the Honorable Gray H. Miller in the Southern District of Texas. Christina graduated magna cum laude and #10 in her class from the University of Houston Law Center in 2018. During law school, Christina gained experience with numerous nonprofits, including TCRP, the ACLU of Texas, and Lone Star Legal Aid. Before law school, Christina taught high school English and worked as a singer-songwriter. She played South by Southwest and was a featured artist on a Sonny Throckmorton album, including guest vocalist Willie Nelson. Christina currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy’s Houston Lawyer Chapter and was a member of ACS’s national Board of Directors from 2017–2019.

Christopher Rivera is the Outreach Coordinator for the Criminal Injustice Program at TCRP. He received a dual degree at California State University Long Beach where he studied Political Science and Chicano Studies. Christopher has been with TCRP since 2016 where he began his career as a paralegal. Since 2021, he has been working as the outreach coordinator pushing for policy change and advocating for those who are often underserved and over-policed.

Denisse Molina is the Humanitarian Outreach Coordinator at the Texas Civil Rights Project. In her role Denisse represents TCRP in state wide and national collations, leads advocacy campaigns and organizes communities in the Texas borderlands to fight for human rights and to fight against inhumane immigration policies. Prior to this, Denisse worked as a paralegal at ProBAR, a non-profit that provides direct services to immigrants detained in adult detention centers. Moreover, Denisse also organized border communities to fight racist immigration policies through her work with Frontera Progressives. Denisse is also an immigrant herself and through her owned lived experiences shares a lot in common with the communities she serves. She holds a BA in Government from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is based in the Rio Grande Valley area.

Dustin Rynders is the Legal Director of Criminal Injustice at Texas Civil Rights Project. Previously, Dustin practiced law with Disability Rights Texas for sixteen years where he supervised the agency's Education Team, worked extensively on school to prison pipeline issues, and co-authored numerous reports on school discipline and policing. Dustin worked with coalition partners to identify and end the state's illegal cap on special education students, decriminalize truancy in Texas and improve systems for youth in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Dustin has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he graduated in 2006. Prior to that he received a BA from Pepperdine University and M.P.Aff. from the L.B.J. School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Emily Eby is a voting rights attorney and incurable Twitter addict. At TCRP, she has helped lead the Election Protection program for three election cycles, training over 1200 volunteers to provide non-partisan "customer service" for voters. She has also worked on local reforms via Democracy from the Ground Up and fought the zombie voter suppression bills that just wouldn't die during the endless Texas legislative sessions of 2021. Emily enjoys watching movies at Alamo Drafthouses, drinking Dr Peppers, and consuming media about time travel.

In December of 1995, Georgina earned her Associates Degree in Applied Science - Legal Secretary (now known as the Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies) from Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas. Prior to earning her associates degree she began working for attorneys in the private sector in October of 1994, and currently has over 25 years of legal experience, of which over 15 years are in civil litigation. Georgina loves helping others, and through the years has been involved in her community through different organizations. In November of 2017, she transitioned from the legal private sector to the non-profit sector after Texas Civil Rights Project “TCRP” gave her the opportunity to work as its Paralegal/Office Manager of its South Texas office. She brings to TCRP years of experience in the legal field, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. Georgina is currently the Paralegal for the Beyond Borders Program.

Hani Mirza is the Texas Civil Rights Project's Voting Rights Program Director. He joined TCRP as a staff attorney in 2015.

With experience in digital fundraising, Jackie joined TCRP in 2018. Now with 10 years of experience in nonprofits, Jackie has gleaned a great deal of experience in her time working at a feral cat rescue in South Los Angeles, music and education at the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and animal rescue at APA! in Austin. Born and raised in El Paso, Jackie first moved to Austin in 2004 to attend college at St. Edward’s where she earned her BA in psychology. After graduation she moved to Colorado Springs for graduate school earning her first Master’s degree in forensic science from UC Colorado Springs. In 2015, she earned her MPA with a concentration in nonprofit management from UC Denver. Jackie spends most of her time corralling her 2 dogs (Seis and Capone) and 3 cats (Gatsby, Scout, Kennedy) and taking leisurely strolls in her South Austin neighborhood. She enjoys scary movies, watching terrible reality tv and listening to a lot of 2000s pop music.

James Slattery serves as a Senior Supervising Legislative Attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project. Previously, James also led TCRP's initiative to boost high school voter registration rates in Texas, and encourage voting and civic participation by young voters. James originally came to Texas as Deputy Voter Protection Director for the Wendy Davis Campaign in 2014, and worked on voting rights issues on President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and the Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia Campaign in 2013. James also served in the Obama Administration as Director of the Office of the Executive Secretariat at the U.S. Department of Commerce. James practiced law as an Associate Attorney at Wiley Rein LLP from 2007-12, and served as a law clerk for a U.S. District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge from 2005-07. James graduated magna cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2005, and received a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from Lipscomb University.

Jenny is the Criminal Injustice Senior Advocacy Manager based in San Antonio. Prior to joining TCRP, Jenny worked for the City of San Antonio where she developed the Violence Prevention Section addressing multiple forms of violence from a public health perspective. While at Metro, she was responsible for the development of the City of San Antonio Comprehensive Domestic Violence Prevention Plan. Before Metro Health, she was the Director of Education and Outreach at RAICES Texas where she oversaw shelter operations, refugee resettlement, and community engagement. She has a 15-year career in the intersection of public health and justice, including working at Planned Parenthood and Jane's Due Process. Jenny received her BA from UT Austin and her MPH from Tulane University where she focused on Maternal and Child Health and Epidemiology. Jenny is originally from San Antonio, where she now lives with her wife, two kids, and a very spoiled dog.

Karla Marisol Vargas is a Senior Attorney with TCRP’s Beyond Borders Program. Through litigation and advocacy, Karla fights to protect and strengthen the rights of individuals impacted by the US immigration system. She pushes for accountability and a humane migration process, centering the voices and demands of impacted people. Before TCRP, Karla spent almost a decade representing mostly newly arrived individuals in various legal proceedings. Through different roles at RAICES, she mentored legal teams, represented noncitizens and citizens seeking immigration benefits such as family reunification, humanitarian protections like asylum and trafficking protections, and specific child protections. As the Employment & Legal Services Director at Workers Defense Project, she strengthened legal programming and partnerships that enhanced and enforced worker rights and protections. Karla also advocates for children in immigration, family, and school to prison pipeline issues, as well as representing and advocating for immigrant survivors of domestic abuse. Karla is a proud daughter of immigrants spending her formative years in Mexico and the US. She is a triple Longhorn, having obtained a Bachelor of Arts, a Master’s and a law degree at the University of Texas at Austin.

Kassi is a Staff Attorney with the Beyond Borders team, where she works as part of the Humanitarian Team on impact litigation and broader advocacy efforts to protect the human rights of immigrants. Prior to joining TCRP, Kassi was an Equal Justice Works fellow at Texas Legal Services Center’s Medical-Legal Partnerships. During her EJW fellowship, Kassi worked to advocate for the immigrant community in a federally qualified health care center. She provided direct legal services to about 300 clients and engaged in health policy, especially in light of the pandemic. Kassi received her BA in Humanities with high honors and Liberal Arts Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. She then graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law. During law school, Kassi participated in Texas Law’s Mental Health and Supreme Court clinics. She also spent summers clerking for non-profits, including Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.

LaToya is an experienced litigation paralegal with over 10 years experience ranging from, criminal, civil, and family law. LaToya is a graduate of Dallas College where she earned an Associate of Applied Science with a focus in Paralegal Studies. LaToya is married to Ken with 5 children, ranging in age from 13 -24. LaToya has attended several legal training seminars to increase her expertise. Latoya enjoys working with clients to help them through their cases. In her spare time she enjoys travelling, reading non fiction books, watching crime TV, and spending time with friends and family.

Leticia leads strategic communications across traditional and digital media spaces to advance TCRP’s legal and policy goals. As a communicator, she is passionate about centering impacted communities and uplifting marginalized voices in the fight for justice. Leticia holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she led the publication of the HKS Journal of Hispanic Policy. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, which she received in 2014. Leticia is the proud daughter of immigrants from Central Mexico.

Maria Trevino-Rodriguez is a Mexican-American immigrant who has called Houston her home since she was one year old. Prior to joining TCRP, she served as Operations Director of Bayou City Strategies where she handled fundraising and communications strategies for congressional, statewide, county and local elected officials. She's also served as the Finance Director for Sylvia Garcia for Congress, Latinx Field Organizer for the Harris County Democratic Party and Communications Director for the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. In 2019, Maria was nominated for the Youth Activist Award for the City of Houston’s Hispanic Heritage Month. She is currently the Individual Partnerships & Events Manager where she oversees fundraising events across the state and serves as the President of TCRP’s Workers Union. When she’s not fighting social injustices, Maria enjoys reading, curating playlists, spending time with her two dogs Coco and Mousse, and walking around museums with friends.

Miguel Rivera is the Senior Advocacy Manager for the Voting Rights program at the Texas Civil Rights Project. In this role, Miguel represents TCRP in statewide coalitions, leads advocacy campaigns, and organizes Texans across the state in the fight for voting rights. Prior to this, Miguel worked as the Redistricting Outreach Fellow at TCRP, where he fought to create a more democratized redistricting process that included the mobilization and training of hundreds of Texans. Miguel’s lived experiences as an immigrant and young voter shaped his approach to equity and fairness, especially when it comes to access to the ballot. He holds a BA in History from the University of Texas at Austin.

Molly joined TCRP in 2022 as a Yale Law Journal Jane Matilda Bolin Fellow in the Criminal Injustice Program. Molly works on issues from exploitative bail practices to unconstitutional conditions of confinement in jails and prisons. She received her B.A. in history from Swarthmore College and her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she worked on civil rights issues affecting veterans and people in prison. Before attending law school, Molly was a litigation assistant at the Prison Law Office in California and worked for the Honorable David S. Tatel of the D.C. Circuit. Molly served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert L. Pitman of the Western District of Texas.

Raven joined TCRP in July of 2021. Prior to joining the organization, she worked in various capacities for campaigns ranging from mayoral races to Presidential primary in roles including; organizer, Grassroots Investment Director, and Deputy State Director, among others. She began her career in finance, and majored in Nutrition & Foods at Texas State University. Raven is driven by the values of radical joy and progress for all Texans, and considers it an absolute honor to serve the brilliant staff of TCRP.

Ricardo is a fundraiser and movement worker based in Houston. Coming from a family that has spent multiple generations in Texas, his work is motivated by a desire to end the violence and militarization in Texas communities caused by prisons, policing, and the immigration system. With a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising, Ricardo has worked in support of education and sexual/domestic violence resource providers, and is committed to antiracist fundraising practices that center equity and community wellness. He is a volunteer deputy voter registrar and an avid reader.

Rolando joined TCRP in 2015, and he currently serves as the Operations Manager, assisting with our daily operations. Outside the office, Rolando enjoys being with family & friends, playing music, bike-riding, and playing disc golf. In the community, Rolando volunteers in service to people who are homeless, as a group leader with the One Human Race Initiative, and as a lay delegate & leadership council member for his spiritual community. Rolando attended St. Edwards University, and he holds a masters degree concentrating in social science and social justice.

Sarah is a Skadden Fellow working on local redistricting and election protection on TCRP's Voting Rights Team. In the 2016 general election, she helped run one of the largest regional election protection programs for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, and she previously worked for a Texas political campaign based in Fort Worth and a community nonprofit in San Antonio. Sarah received her BA in public and international affairs from Princeton University and a law degree from the UC Berkeley, School of Law. She clerked for the Hon. Dolly M. Gee of the Central District of California and the Hon. Jane B. Stranch of the Sixth Circuit.

Savannah Tarbet serves as the Press Manager for the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she handles media relations for the organization. Before joining TCRP, Savannah was the Director of Marketing & Communications at the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, where she promoted her hometown of Amarillo to attract workforce and businesses to the city. Savannah has specialized experience in local media outreach and relationship building. Savannah received her BA in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications with honors from West Texas A&M University. During her time in college, she led 1910 PR, the university's student-run public relations firm, as Executive Director. Outside of work, Savannah has served on several boards and committees of different local organizations including, Elevate Amarillo, Amarillo League of Women Voters, and the Texas Economic Development Council.

Sumaya is the Texas Civil Rights Project’s digital coordinator, executing our strategy to engage and grow our digital audience, and leverage our digital presence to advance our legal and policy goals. As a Muslim American, Sumaya is passionate about minority empowerment and aims to leverage her digital skills to create content and tell stories that leave a lasting impact. Sumaya holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing with a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Houston. Before joining TCRP, Sumaya interned with the League of Women Voters of Houston during the 2020 presidential election and with Kanarys Inc., a Black female-founded company that advocates for workplace equality. She went on to work as a Communications & Casework Fellow for State Representative Ana-Maria Ramos during the 87th Legislative Session in Texas. Additionally, she served as an inaugural Harris Fellow in Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo's Office.

Travis joined TCRP in September of 2021 as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. Travis works on eradicating the school-to-prison pipeline in Texas through litigation and community-based advocacy. Prior to joining TCRP, Travis graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. In law school, Travis worked for a host of different legal nonprofits including Lawyers for Civil Rights, New York Legal Assistance Group, the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee. He won Best Oralist and was a member of the winning team of the Ames Moot Court Competition. Before law school, Travis taught high school and middle school debate in Los Angeles. He attended UCLA where he graduated summa cum laude. Travis grew up in the Fort Worth area and is excited to return to Texas!

Veronikah is the 2022 Manne Family Fellow with the Voting Rights team, where she works on impact litigation, legislative advocacy, and as a member of the Election Protection team. Veronikah received her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Syracuse University and graduated with Honors from The University of Texas School of Law. While in law school, Veronikah participated in the Supreme Court Clinic, was Chief Articles Editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights, and Publications Editor for the American Journal of Criminal Law.

Wasiq Javed is the Legislative Coordinator for the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP). In this role, he is developing the infrastructure for TCRP to coordinate between its legal programs and achieve its priorities during the fast-paced 88th Texas Legislative Session. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, to Pakistani Muslim immigrants, Wasiq is passionate about increasing minority communities’ involvement in public service and civic engagement. Prior to joining TCRP, Wasiq served as the Outreach Coordinator for CAIR-Houston, a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, and as the Legislative Aide for State Representative Armando Walle during the 87th legislative session. Wasiq graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Minor in Leadership Studies. He intends to pursue law to prepare him for a career as a public interest lawyer.

Zachary (Zach) Dolling is a staff attorney in the Criminal Injustice and Voting Rights programs. He previously worked as a staff attorney in the Racial and Economic Justice program, as a project attorney for Justice for our Neighbors Austin, and as a law clerk to United States District Judge Robert Pitman of the Western District of Texas.