Staff

Amanda joined the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center as a Staff Attorney in May 2021. She currently works on the unaccompanied children’s team in the Ypsilanti office. Prior to joining MIRC, Amanda interned and externed at Legal Services of South Central Michigan. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University for Political Science-Pre law, and her Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law. Amanda is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil and moved to Michigan with her family in 1999.

Amy (she/her) is a Legal Assistant on the UC team at our Grand Rapids office. In 2021, she graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Latin American & Caribbean Studies, Human Rights Track. During her undergrad, she participated in the Immigrant Justice Lab (IJL). Amy was born and raised in Holland, MI to immigrant parents and is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.

Ana Arvizu-Mata is a paralegal on the unaccompanied minors team based out of the Grand Rapids office. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University in 2017. Ana is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico but relocated to Grand Rapids at 4 years old and is passionate about helping and giving back to her community. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Before starting at MIRC, Andrea was a high school teacher for eleven years. She has taught in a few different places, and even internationally, but the experience that most relates to the work she does at MIRC has been her experience teaching newcomer English learners in southwest Detroit and Pontiac. The thing Andrea most enjoyed about being a teacher was being able to advocate for kids and make a tangible, positive impact in their lives. Although she is somewhat new to the legal environment, Andrea is pleased that she is able to continue championing the rights of children as part of the UC team.

On the weekends, you might find her at an arty venue enjoying a live music show, hiking a nature trail, or testing out some recipes in the kitchen, especially different types of salsas.

Anna joined the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center as a staff attorney in 2013 and currently serves on MIRC's farmworker and immigrant worker litigation team and advocacy team. She began her time at MIRC focused on impact litigation and policy advocacy for a broad range of immigrant rights issues, including federal litigation to ensure immigrant access to public benefits and programs. She has also representing clients in seeking U-visas, naturalization, asylum, and in removal proceedings after workplace raids. Anna graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and the University of California, Berkeley. She grew up in California where she worked at Head Start and for the USDA Agrability program, prior to law school. She is fluent in Spanish.

Ben was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Sociology with honors and Spanish, with a minor in Intergroup Relations Education (2016), and a master’s degree from New York University in Translation & Interpreting (2022). Actively engaged in these communities, he has mentored youth and advocated for vulnerable populations. Benjamin has worked for nearly a decade as a youth and club rowing coach in Ann Arbor and became involved in U.S. immigration law during his two years living in Ecuador, where he taught English at Escuéla Politécnica Nacional.

He began working as a paralegal for MIRC on the Ypsilanti Office Unaccompanied Children's team in the Fall of 2024, marking a return to immigration law after a Fulbright Scholarship teaching English in Ghent, Belgium. He is enthusiastic about contributing his skillset to the non-profit realm, where his unique background can be put to use aiding those who need it most and strengthening the Michigan community.

Brianna Llamas is a Legal Assistant at MIRC and her pronouns are she/ her. Brianna graduated with honors from Michigan State University, double majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology. She interned at the Michigan Attorney General’s Office in their Conviction Integrity Unit. Where she was motivated by a profound commitment to fairness and truth, dedicated to addressing wrongful convictions and upholding justice. She is filled with anticipation and a profound sense of purpose, as she eagerly embraces the opportunity to commence her journey at the MIRC. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to assist individuals akin to her own family who have gone through similar immigration processes, she is ready to make a meaningful difference.

Christine Sauvé, LMSW leads community engagement and communications strategies for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, working to advance narrative and policy change in partnership with immigrant communities across Michigan. Christine regularly speaks to community groups, elected officials, and advocates about issues related to immigration, inclusion, and equity. She is a member of the Michigan Advocacy Program’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and also serves as Co-Chair for the Detroit City Council’s Immigration Task Force. Previously Christine served as Director for the Welcoming Michigan project and contributed to several publications on the topic of social cohesion. In 2013 she was one of ten national leaders honored by The White House as a Champion of Change for her efforts to promote immigrant inclusion. Christine served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania and Senegal, and is a member of the National Association of Social Workers. She is a graduate of the New Detroit Multicultural Leadership program, Detroit Equity Action Lab, Welcoming Communities Transatlantic Exchange, and Detroit Revitalization Fellows. Christine received her MSW and undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. She is a strong advocate for social justice, loves birding and dark chocolate, and is happy to call Detroit home.

Courtney is a Paralegal for the Unaccompanied Children team at our Ypsilanti office. She received her B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Adrian College in 2017, where she also studied abroad for a year in Chile. Prior to working for MIRC, she worked in an immigration law firm as a legal assistant and interpreter. Her passions include helping people, learning languages and traveling.

Damaris Vail is working as a paralegal with the unaccompanied team in Grand Rapids, MI. She recently obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public and NonProfit Administration from Western Michigan University. Damaris is a Guatemalan American, as a first generation student her work has consisted in the Driver's Licence for all movement. Prior to joining MIRC she has learned about immigration law through interning at Immigration Law and Justice and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Damaris hopes to continue her education in Public Policy and Immigration law. She is also a fluent Spanish speaker.

Debora Cunha is a Supervising Program Coordinator at our Ypsilanti/ Detroit Offices, focused on the Unaccompanied Minors Program . As an immigrant herself, Debora arrived as a minor in the United States from Brazil and is happy to assist unaccompanied minors through her own experiences. She is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and is pursuing a major in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolutions. Her hobbies include kickboxing and scuba diving.