Team on the Ground

Sara Ramey
Executive Director and Immigration Attorney

Sara Ramey has been representing immigrants, primarily detained asylum seekers, in Texas since 2012 including as a Staff Attorney at the non-profit NGOs ProBAR (South Texas Pro Bono Representation Project) and RAICES (Refugee Center for Education and Legal Services). Sara has won numerous asylum cases (including appeals at the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit), as well as VAWA, U-visa, DACA, adjustment of status, consular processing, TPS, citizenship, and termination and administrative closure cases.

Sara has dedicated her life to protecting and promoting the human rights of all people. She has worked for Amnesty International in Sydney, Australia and Asuncion, Paraguay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Washington, D.C., the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), and the American Friends Service Committee, among others. Sara has a JD from the Washington College of Law, American University, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound. She speaks Spanish and French.

Abigail (“Abby”) Miller

Law Student Extern

Abby is a rising second year law student from St. Louis, Missouri. She recently relocated to Helotes, Texas, and is looking forward to getting to know the San Antonio area. Abby studied political science in undergrad, with a focus in pre-law. Before beginning law school, Abby spent a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Fox Park neighborhood in St. Louis. As a VISTA, she coordinated community outreach programs aimed at promoting physical activity and advancing social equity, co-facilitated a working group on neighborhood development and advancement, developed new partnerships with other non-profits in the St. Louis area, and referred families to community services organizations, legal resources, and educational programs. She is specifically interested in civil rights law and litigation. In her free time, Abby loves to read, spend time with her pets (four cats and one dog!), go hiking, explore coffee shops with her fiancé, and travel.

FORMER TEAM MEMBERS

Destiny Herndon

Legal Assistant and Community Engagement Intern

Destiny Herndon is a rising junior at the University of Notre Dame, double majoring in political science and global affairs, with a focus in civil and human rights. Growing up in south Texas, Destiny has always been especially passionate about the rights of migrants and the effects of public policy regarding migration. This past year, she wrote an article for the Notre Dame Beyond Politics academic journal which investigates the adverse effects of some recent migration policies and offers possible solutions which would increase the quality of life for those seeking asylum in the United States. Through this research, Destiny was able to understand how dire the current immigration situation is, and the extent to which migrants’ rights are being ignored. This inspired her to take a more hands-on approach to assuaging the plights of migrants in whatever way possible, which is why the Migrant Center for Human Rights was a perfect fit for her. Migrant rights are human rights, and it’s imperative that they are fought for.

Riley Schelp

Community Engagement Intern and Legal Assistant

Riley is an International Relations and Spanish major at the University of Alabama. Riley interned at Christian Friends of New Americans, an organization supporting refugees in St. Louis, Missouri for two summers. There, she had the opportunity to work with refugee families and their case workers as the refugees adjusted to life in the United States. Riley’s love of cross-cultural communication inspired her to lead English classes in her community. She teaches virtual weekly ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to Spanish-speakers in Tuscaloosa, many of whom fled persecution in their home countries. Through developing relationships with her students, Riley is witness to many powerful stories and has grown to understand the challenges immigrants face as they enter the country. She also interned at Arcadia Elementary in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as a language-support outreacher for their Spanish-speaking students. Riley lead a two-week day camp last summer for Riley is passionate about empowering immigrants and migrants, whether it be through language support, advocacy, or assistance in the asylum-seeking process. Riley developed a passion for advocating for immigrants because she believes that no matter what, each one of their voices should be heard. Riley joined the team at the Migrant Center for Human Rights because she believes the work we do is essential in advancing the human rights of all migrants. She speaks English and Spanish.

Camilla Morrison

Law Student Extern

Camilla Morrison developed her passion for human rights while living in Spain during the height of Europe’s migrant and refugee crisis where, at the time, she was pursuing a master’s degree at the Institute for Migration Studies at Madrid’s Universidad Pontificia Comillas. She went on to work at a Spanish international development NGO managing economic development and aid projects assisting refugees and developing communities throughout Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, before returning to San Antonio to attend law school.

Camilla is now in her second year at St. Mary’s University School of Law and currently serves on the board of the Immigration Law Students Association working to bring more awareness to immigration issues on campus. She is a staff writer for The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice and is heavily involved in the school’s Pro Bono Program, recently helping launch an immigration court observation program in conjunction with RAICES.

Camilla has volunteered at DMRS (Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services) in El Paso and interned at the Equal Justice Center in San Antonio where she assisted in active wage and employment litigation on behalf of immigrants and low-wage workers. Camilla is passionate about working to ensure the rights of migrants under the law and has a firm commitment to the mission of the Migrant Center for Human Rights. She speaks English and Spanish.

Daniela Montufar Soria
Legal Assistant and Community Engagement Liaison

Daniela recently graduated with honors from Trinity University with a major on International Economics and a minor in Global Politics, driven by her interest in international affairs and human rights protection. She co-authored the article Seeking Safe Haven: How the Syrian Refugee Crisis Impacts San Antonio for The Contemporary. This article offers an insight into how San Antonio has been impacted by the Syrian Refugee Crisis, and some of the actors that have made it their mission to aid the people affected by this humanitarian crisis that has surpassed borders.

During Daniela’s first year of university, the Syrian refugee crisis started to get attention from the international community. In the face of the feeling of impotence and restlessness, together with a group of three other international students, she co-founded the International Humanitarian Crisis Initiative (IHCI). IHCI exists to address the immediate needs created by humanitarian crises across the globe. IHCI seeks to raise awareness and funds to alleviate human suffering caused by crisis situations, including natural disasters and wars. IHCI builds partnerships with other groups, including campus and non-profit organizations, to maximize its global impact. The organization is driven by the conviction that every person is valuable and deserves to be treated with dignity.

During her college career Daniela took part in different internship programs with RAICES and the San Antonio Museum of Art. Following her desire to defend human rights and raise awareness, Daniela joined the Migrant Center for Human Rights. As an immigrant herself, Daniela feels strongly for people coming to the U.S in search for safety and a chance at a better life. Daniela’s knowledge of English, Spanish and French allow her to contribute to the activities at the Migrant Center for Human Rights.

Raiya Al-Nsour
Community Engagement Intern

Raiya Al-Nsour is a student at the University of Virginia (UVA), studying in its honors program for political science. This past summer, she interned with the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School,where she assisted with research supporting the global impact of “From Harvard Square to the Oval Office,” a non-partisan training program which prepares future leaders to ascend in the electoral process. Currently, she is an Outreach Fellow with Resistance School, an online platform that provides online training for those new to organizing and those who want to deepen their skills.

Raiya kicked off the creation of Resistance School at UVA, and hopes to bring more universities into the Resistance School network. At UVA, she was also heavily involved in student organizing after last year’s white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. Previously, Raiya was an intern with Another Kind of Girl Collective, a nonprofit in Jordan focused on equipping young Syrian women living as refugees with the artistic tools they need to share their stories.

This year, Raiya is taking time off to intern with the Migrant Center for Human Rights. She is passionate about the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers, and she looks forward to contributing to an organization that defends the dignity and wellbeing of those that come to this country.

Lorena Trevino
Law Student Extern

Law Student and Extern Lorena Garza has two years of experience working with unaccompanied minor refugees as a case manager with the Non-Profit Organization Southwest Key Programs. Lorena has worked on the reunification process for unaccompanied children and has worked with the Office of Refugee Resettlement to reunify refugee children with friends and family all around the United States. She believes all individuals should be presented with every opportunity available to them and that every individual be treated humanely and with respect.

Lorena started St. Mary’s University School of Law in August 2017 and has worked with the Texas Law Help Organization as a pro-bono volunteer. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Brownsville. Lorena believes immigrant individuals should know and be informed about their rights under the law, should be allowed access to effective counsel and should be treated fairly and with respect throughout their proceedings. She speaks English and Spanish.