CARECEN Legal Service

Who is CARECEN? Since its founding in 1983, when thousands of Central Americans fled the brutality of civil war, CARECEN has been working to change an unjust immigration system, win legal status for immigrants, and foster community activism on issues such as education reform, workers’ and immigrants’ rights, economic justice and community strengthening. CARECEN, is the largest Central American immigrant rights organization in the country that works hard to empower Central Americans and all immigrants by defending human and civil rights, working for social and economic justice, and promoting cultural diversity. They envision Los Angeles becoming a place where Central Americans and all other communities live in peace and dignity, enjoying economic well-being, social justice, and political empowerment.

Meet CARECEN Attorney:

Anna M. Raygoza

Anna M. Raygoza received her Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School in May of 2021. While in law school, Anna focused her time and energy on serving the underrepresented immigrant community through the Southwestern Law School Appellate Litigation Clinic, the Removal Defense Clinic, and as a law student volunteer for the Access to Asylum project and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Immigration Legal Assistant Project.

As a law clerk, Anna gained valuable experience and legal knowledge in representing low-income immigrant individuals in removal proceedings, as well as researching statutes, regulations, and case law pertaining to criminal immigration issues, including consequences of plea agreements and drug offenses.

Anna also assisted with the preparation of an opening brief, filed to petition for a review of a final order of removal by the Board of Immigration Appeals, with the Ninth Circuit Court. Moreover, through these experiences, Anna successfully assisted numerous immigrant community members file their affirmative and defensive asylum applications with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, as well as assisted with the completion of other immigration processes with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Anna is the proud daughter of immigrants and a huge Los Angeles Dodger fan. She is delighted to serve the East Los Angeles College Campus as the new CARECEN Community College Legal Service Project team member.

Andrea Garcia

English

Andrea is a Legal Assistant for CARECEN’S College Legal Services Project. Andrea’s passion for immigration advocacy derived from her parent’s legal status and wanting to understand the unjust laws that prevents her family and members of her community from becoming legal permanent residents. Andrea is an alumna of California State University Long Beach and had several non-profit and congressional internships before she began working for CARECEN 2 years ago. Andrea would like to pursue a law degree and become an immigration attorney in the future.

Spanish

Andrea es asistente legal del Proyecto de Servicios Legales Universitarios de CARECEN. La pasión de Andrea por la defensa de la inmigración se deriva del estado legal de sus padres y su deseo de comprender las leyes injustas que impiden que su familia y los miembros de su comunidad se conviertan en residentes legales permanentes. Andrea es una ex alumna de la Universidad Estatal de California en Long Beach y tuvo varias pasantías en el Congreso y sin fines de lucro antes de comenzar a trabajar para CARECEN hace 2 años. A Andrea le gustaría obtener un título en derecho y convertirse en abogada de inmigración en el futuro.