Claudia began her work in immigrant detention a few months after September 11, 2001. She says “[B]ecause I was formed as an attorney during an extremely tough period for detained immigrants, I feel a special tie to this population, and despite the periodic emotional burden and legal challenges this kinship presents, I cannot imagine doing anything else with my law degree.” Prior to attending law school, she spent three years as a teacher and school administrator. Beginning with her first year of law school, she chose internships and research positions assisting low-income and immigrant communities.

She began her career at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) in 2000 as a law clerk; in 2002, she became a Chicago Bar Foundation- sponsored Equal Justice Fellow at NIJC. She provided representation and counseling to immigrants in detention and developed “Know Your Rights” presentations as well as monitored the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention conditions. Now, she continues her work as the Managing Attorney of the Detention Project for NIJC where she both supervises the work of the staff and pro bono attorneys who provide legal representation and contributes to the development of NIJC’s National Detention, Democracy and Due Process Project. To further the work about which she cares so strongly, she has fostered relationships with law schools in the area to develop student capacity in a supervised setting. In 2003, her alma mater DePaul University College of Law recognized Claudia with its Outstanding Young Alumna Award.