Miriam Lacroix’s passion for public interest and human rights work began at a young age and continued through college and law school. In college, Miriam was an intern in the office of a U.S. Senator and eventually went on to work for New York State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins as a Constituent Services Liaison, where she assisted residents of Westchester County with various issues pertaining to the Department of Social Services, Medicare, Medicaid, and housing. It was very common for her to receive calls from constituents who really needed immigration-related help, but having no one to send them to.
Miriam graduated with high honors from Pace University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, focusing on civil rights and international human rights issues. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree Miriam obtained her Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law, where she gained invaluable experience exploring the immigration process.
During her final year in law school, she was a student attorney in the Immigrant Justice Clinic, where she represented a broad range of clients including two young girls from Senegal seeking to avoid genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Together with Stephanie Ramos, Miriam co-authored a paper entitled, “Toward a Critical Immigration Theory: Breaking The Historical Patterns of Oppressive Immigration & Citizenship Policy.” The paper traces the patterns of discrimination in immigration law and policies and invites a conversation about developing a more comprehensive, critical, anti-oppression analysis of the U.S. Immigration System.
After graduation, Miriam was chosen to serve as a Justice Fellow in the Immigrant Justice Corps, a program initiated by Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals as a response to crisis in legal representation for immigrants.
She was placed at the City Bar Justice Center in New York, NY where she, for a period of two years, provided high-quality, pro bono legal assistance including: naturalization, deportation defense, and affirmative applications for juveniles and victims of crime, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
As the daughter of a Haitian immigrant, Miriam’s commitment to the immigrant community stems from her father’s experience with the U.S. immigration system. She understands the harsh realities that the complex immigration laws present for individuals and families, often leaving them without options and forcing families to be apart.
It is because of this that she has dedicated herself and continues to dedicate herself to providing compassionate, high-quality legal services to immigrants.
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