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.

David Sánchez was born in the Rio Grande Valley and raised in the Dallas suburbs. David has spearheaded some of the largest volunteer engagement programs in the country- as VP of Campaign Strategy at NextGen America, he inspired young people nationwide to find their voice and get involved. With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit and political spheres, David has crafted winning strategies for presidential, senatorial, and statewide campaigns across the country. He's led initiatives at the forefront of democracy and environmentalism, always guided by his values and passion for change. In 2015, David received his Master's in Public Administration from DePaul University, equipping him with the knowledge to turn his principles into action. Now, he brings this wealth of experience with him to TCRP, where he will serve as Chief of Staff. David lives in Austin with his french bulldog puppy Luka.

Dustin directs TCRP’s legal work and legislative advocacy and serves as in-house counsel. Dustin is a Texas native who has worked in public interest civil rights with an intersectional focus on the criminal legal system, disability, education, race, and LGBTQIA identity for over twenty years. Throughout his career, Dustin is most proud of his work mentoring new public interest attorneys and incubating innovative work to grow and strengthen the movement for social justice. In his own advocacy, Dustin uncovered and eliminated the illegal cap on special education enrollment in Texas that denied services to over 300,000 students. After first interning at TCRP in the summer of 2004, Dustin returned to TCRP full time as Director of the Criminal Injustice Program in 2022 and was promoted to Legal Director January 1, 2024. Dustin launched and leads cross programmatic collaborations for TCRP in the areas of Reproductive Justice and Disability Justice. Dustin is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum Houston (Class XVIII). Dustin received a Bachelor of Arts from Pepperdine University, cum laude (2001), a M.P.Aff. from the L.B.J. School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas (2003), and a J.D. from The University of Houston Law Center (2006). Dustin and his husband, Mike, live in Houston with their son and enjoy theater and travel.

Tami Goodlette joined TCRP after serving as the Director of Litigation at the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) in San Antonio, Texas where she oversaw a portfolio of federal litigation challenging unconstitutional laws and discriminatory practices of the U.S. government in an effort to ensure fairness and dignity for non-citizens seeking refuge in the U.S. Prior to RAICES, Tami served as the Deputy Director of the Dilley Pro Bono Project that provided pro bono legal representation to thousands of immigrant mothers and their children detained at the largest immigrant detention facility in the U.S. Before moving to Texas and becoming a litigator for immigrant rights, Tami practiced law at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP and was the Managing Partner of the firm’s Colorado offices. Tami clerked for the Honorable Robert M. Russel on the Colorado Court of Appeals, and before law school, she was a high school Spanish teacher and school administrator. Tami is admitted to the bar in Texas, Arizona and Colorado.

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

Chanel is a Texas native who has worked in finance for over 20 years. As the Director of Finance and Accounting for TCRP, she is most excited about being able to support the organization by creating and maintaining excellent financial controls, policies, and procedures to ensure they are fiscally sound. Chanel understands the importance of civic responsibility to uphold democratic values, including justice, freedom, equity, diversity, and human rights. So, when she joined the TCRP family, she took the baton and sprinted. Chanel looks forward to continuing to be a part of THE CHANGE!

Miranda joins the Texas Civil Rights Project as the Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development. Miranda is a powerful force in advancing democratic values. She has nearly 15 years of experience in government, electoral, and advocacy spaces. Miranda develops fundraising strategies and communications that move missions forward. She brings impressive experience surpassing multi-million-dollar revenue goals and cultivating meaningful partnerships with community members whose contributions are transformational. Miranda holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from The American University in Washington, DC, and a Bachelor’s degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. She lives in San Antonio with her husband and son, who are her motivation in her work.

Jackie is joining TCRP as Director of Communications. She has actively worked to create narrative change, mobilize voters, and encourage advocacy within diverse communities in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin for nearly a decade. Her passion is to apply strategic and engaging messaging to increase owned, earned, and paid media presence in order to increase civic awareness. Jackie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Central Michigan University and her Master of Professional Studies degree in Political Management from The George Washington University.

Doretha Polite is a seasoned Human Resources Professional with over 25 years of leadership experience, including 12 years dedicated to Human Resources. With a solid foundation built over 22 years at a leading insurance company, she honed her skills in Operations for a decade before transitioning into various prominent director roles within Human Resources. Recognized for her strategic vision and people-centric approach, Doretha embarked on a new journey by establishing her Human Resources and Leadership Consulting Firm. Here, she offers executive coaching tailored to the needs of small to medium-sized businesses, specializing in HR strategies and leadership development. Recently, Doretha has extended her expertise to civil rights by joining the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she is eager to contribute her wealth of Human Resources and leadership knowledge. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Brett, and her English Bulldog, Sparty. She is also an enthusiast for journaling and loves writing and creating content related to journaling.

Rolando joined TCRP in 2015, and he currently serves as associate director of operations. Rolando is from Corpus Christi, TX, and he has lived in Austin since 1991. Outside the office, Rolando enjoys being with family & friends, traveling, playing music, bike-riding, and disc golf; and, in the community, Rolando volunteers in service to people who are homeless and food-insecure. Rolando holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication, and a master’s degree in social science & social justice, both from St. Edward’s University.

Aron is a Senior Attorney on TCRP's Beyond Borders Program. He works to improve border communities through legal advocacy for public policy that respect the rights of migrants and those who reside in border communities.

Christina is an eighth-generation Texan and senior supervising attorney in the Criminal Injustice 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 interned at TCRP, the ACLU of Texas, and Lone Star Legal Aid. Before law school, Christina was a Teach for America corps member and taught high school English in Houston. Christina also previously 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.

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. As a long-term resident of the Borderlands, Denisse also shares her expertise of the federal, state, and local systems and their connection to the Borderlands and her local community. Before this, Denisse worked as a paralegal at ProBAR, a non-profit providing direct services to immigrants detained in adult detention centers. In addition to her role in direct services, Denisse also played an integral role in providing research, advocacy strategies, and humanitarian services through the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Policy ( aka family separation), Migrant Protection Protocols Policy ( aka Return to Mexico), Title 42, and many other immigration policies. In 2023, Denisse worked alongside the Beyond Borders Policy team to bring her expertise to the Texas Legislature. Moreover, Denisse also organized border communities to fight racist immigration policies and bring awareness to the issues more pressing to the Borderlands, she did this through her work with various grassroots organizations. Lastly, Denisse is also an immigrant herself and through her own 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.

Georgina Guzman is the Supervising Paralegal and the Paralegal for the Beyond Borders Program at Texas Civil Rights Project. Georgina was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and moved to Brownsville, Texas with her family when she was eight years old. Her native language is Spanish and is bilingual in both Spanish and English. She began working in the legal field in October of 1994, and earned her Associates Degree in Applied Science – Legal Secretary in December of 1995 from Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas. She has over 25 years of legal experience, of which 15 of those years are in civil litigation. In November of 2017, Texas Civil Rights Project gave her the opportunity to work at its South Texas office located in Alamo, Texas, transitioning from the private sector to the non-profit sector. Georgina is currently attending UTRGV and finishing her Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies, which consists of three minors (Legal Studies, Political Science, and Mexican American Studies). She also volunteers her time with a non-profit motorcycle organization that empowers abused children, loves spending time with her family, close friends, and two dogs.

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 on impact litigation and broader advocacy efforts to protect the human rights of immigrants. In her role, Kassi has filed various administrative complaints and been a part of federal litigation teams to hold CBP accountable for violations of civil rights, especially in torts and disability rights. Kassi has also participated in broader advocacy efforts to end programs like Operation Lone Star. She continues to work on behalf of TCRP clients to ensure that they have equal access to justice. 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 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 Rio Grande 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.

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 Fellow, and is now a staff attorney on the Criminal Injustice team. She works on a variety of issues impacting people at all stages of the criminal legal process, with a focus on combatting the inhumane conditions in Texas prisons and jails. Molly 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.

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.

Since joining TCRP in 2021 as a Skadden Fellow, Sarah led the successful trial team challenging Galveston County's 2021 redistricting, supported local redistricting efforts across the state, and participated in our lawsuit challenging the SB 1 voter suppression bill. 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 U.S. Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit. 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 previously worked for a community nonprofit in San Antonio. She also serves as a founding board member of Asian Texans for Justice.

Savannah Tarbet serves as the Press Manager for the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she oversees media relations and communications for the organization. Savannah has specialized experience in media outreach and relationship building. Savannah received her BA in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications with honors from West Texas A&M University.

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.

Zachary (Zach) Dolling is a senior staff attorney in the Voting Rights Program and has previously worked in both the Criminal Injustice and Beyond Borders Programs. Before joining TCRP, he was a project attorney at Justice for our Neighbors Austin and a law clerk to United States District Judge Robert Pitman of the Western District of Texas.

Alycia Castillo is a policy and advocacy strategist, civil rights advocate, and a community organizer. Her work is aimed at upending systems of oppression and punishment and building infrastructures of support and restoration in their place. She rejects the use of state-sanctioned violence as a response to interpersonal violence and community harm. Alycia organizes alongside communities with lived experience in the criminal legal system to amplify their perspectives and needs to shape more just and equitable public policy and narratives as a step toward our collective liberation. She has lead and supported local and state level campaigns for ending mass incarceration, addressing inhumane conditions in jails and prisons and police brutality and surveillance, dismantling the school to prison pipeline, ending the criminalization of children, and keeping families together. Prior to joining TCRP, Alycia was Policy Director at Texas Center for Justice and Equity. Before her career in public policy, Alycia worked as a teacher, specializing in positive-based learning interventions for students with learning disabilities. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at Texas State University, and brings a trauma-informed, antiracist lens to her analyses and advocacy. Alycia also serves on the Board of Equity Action, and Pretrial Justice Institute, and is Co-Founder of the Finish the 5 Campaign. She lives in Austin with her partner, twin toddler sons, and their dog, Jeff.

Megan Dion joined Texas Civil Rights Project in February 2024 as Senior Philanthropy Officer, bringing more than five years of nonprofit development experience. She is a dedicated advocate for social justice with a proven track record in nonprofit capacity building, event planning, fundraising, and marketing. Megan is passionate about community-centric fundraising, enjoying building strong relationships with community members to share the positive change Texas Civil Rights Project staff and volunteers fight for every day. Prior to her work in nonprofits, Megan served with AmeriCorps, taught high school science in the DFW area, and taught 3rd grade in Honduras. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Environmental Biology from the University of California Berkeley and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Kirsten joined TCRP as a legal fellow in the Criminal Injustice Program in 2023. She enthusiastically works on issues that directly impact those who have been affected by systems of incarceration and policing. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Prairie View A&M University and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law. While in law school, she participated in the Parole Project, Civil Rights Clinic, Capital Punishment Clinic, and Juvenile Justice Clinic.

Saul Gamez, the dedicated Digital Organizer at the Texas Civil Rights Project as a part of the Beyond Borders team. His role involves fostering community growth and facilitating platforms for movements to thrive. Saul’s expertise lies in guiding community leaders to effect change in their localities and promoting messages of equality and sustainability. Saul’s commitment is deeply rooted in the empowerment of communities and challenging systemic issues. His experience is diverse, having worked with communities in Nicaragua to confront systemic challenges. He has also collaborated with seasonal migrant workers in the agricultural fields of the northern United States, most of whom originate from the country’s southern border. Saul’s hands-on experience and dedication underscore his belief in the power of communities. His work is not about leading, but about supporting communities in realizing their own potential.

Joaquin Gonzalez is a San Antonio Native and serves as Senior Supervising Attorney in the Voting Rights Program. He has been a premiere litigator in the Texas voting rights space since 2018. He played a leading role in some of the most significant Texas voting rights cases in recent years, including halting a Texas Secretary of State’s attempt to improperly purge nearly 100,000 voters and forcing Texas to fully comply with the federal motor voter law, which has led to over 2,000,000 voter registrations. He helped design Bexar County’s S.M.A.R.T. Elections initiative which successfully expanded access and ensured safe and effective elections during the COVID pandemic. He has also taught Election Law at the University of Texas School of Law. Joaquin graduated from Yale Law School, where he served as Notes Editor for the Yale Law Journal. He has an undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations from the London School of Economics.

Daniel Hatoum is a human rights lawyer based in San Antonio, Texas. Through the Beyond Borders team, Daniel fights to ensure the U.S. has humane migration practices and for the rights of his fellow Texans who live along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Daniel is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Daniel started his career path as a clerk for a federal judge before eventually making his way from Fried Frank-MALDEF Fellowship to RAICES and, most recently, becoming a supervisor with the Beyond Borders team.

Randy is a staff attorney with the Criminal Injustice team, where he focuses on protecting people from abusive policing, unjust prison conditions, and criminalization. Prior to joining TCRP, Randy worked on civil rights cases involving border communities at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. He clerked for the Hon. Jerome T. Kearney of the Eastern District of Arkansas and the Hon. James E. Graves Jr. of the Fifth Circuit. He received a B.A. and B.S. from Point Loma Nazarene University and a J.D. and M.T.S. from Vanderbilt University.

Roberto Alejandro Lopez is a Senior Advocacy Manager in the Beyond Borders program at the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP). He lives in Austin, TX, and is proudly from the Rio Grande Valley, where he was born and raised and taught high school math for two years before joining the TCRP team in 2018. Roberto is a leader in the Beyond Border program’s advocacy work against the growing militarization of the Texas border. He fights for a day where all who live in or pass through the borderlands are treated with dignity, welcome, and belonging. Roberto graduated with his engineering degree at Cornell University.

Marina Ortiz is the Bookkeeper at Texas Civil Rights Project. She has been working in the accounting field since 2015. Marina grew up in Reynosa, Mexico and she now resides in the Rio Grande Valley. Prior to joining TCRP, Marina worked with local organizations advocating for LGBTQ+, climate change and border community issues. She also assisted in registering High School seniors to vote all over the valley. Marina loves her community and she understands the important work TCRP does so she could not be happier to be working alongside liked-minded people.

Kellie Ridlehuber serves as the Election Protection Volunteer Organizer for the Voting Rights Program at Texas Civil Rights Project. In this role, she recruits, trains, and manages legal and field volunteers to safeguard elections across Texas. As a born and raised Texan, Kellie is deeply committed to protecting the democratic rights of all eligible Texans and advancing social justice initiatives through grassroots organizing. With experience in both electoral organizing and social work, she combines political insight with empathy-driven action. Holding a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Social Work from Texas Tech University, Kellie is dedicated to creating meaningful change and empowering communities.

Danny Woodward is a Julius Glickman Legal Fellow with the Beyond Borders Program, where he works on impact litigation supporting the rights of immigrants and border communities. Danny received his undergraduate degree from The University of Vermont, earned a Master’s Degree in Arabic Studies from the American University in Cairo, and graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law. While in law school, Danny participated in the Immigration Clinic, the Supreme Court Clinic, and was a Human Rights Scholar with the Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice. He also devoted his time to pro bono projects, serving as a Pro Bono Scholar with the Mithoff Pro Bono Program, where he supported the parole packet representation and immigration projects. Before law school, Danny worked as Manager of Immigrant Services at a nonprofit in Massachusetts.