The UC Immigrant Legal Services Center is comprised of a passionate team of legal professionals who are dedicated to supporting UC students and their families. Our goal is to remove barriers by providing immigration legal services so UC students can achieve their full potential in their educational pursuits. Based at the UC Davis School of Law, the UCIMM serves students through its Northern California and Southern California hubs. Our UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Cruz attorneys are located on their respective campuses.
Meet Our Team
Grace Alano
Staff Attorney
E-mail: grace.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Grace Alano is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center serving UCSF students, family, and some staff, as well as some UC Berkeley staff. Grace received her B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and her J.D. from Southwestern Law School. She is certified as a Legal Specialist in Immigration & Nationality Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California. Grace maintains a private law practice, Alano Immigration, in San Francisco. She currently serves as a Commissioner for the State Bar of California's Board of Legal Specialization, and was previously Vice Chair of their Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission. She also previously served as an Asylum Liaison and Practice Management Coordinator for AILA NorCal. Grace enjoys spending time with her family, traveling with friends, dinner parties, movie nights, and learning hula.
Jennifer Angeles
Office Coordinator
E-mail: jennifer.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Jennifer Angeles is the Office Coordinator for the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. She joins us with over 25+ years of Executive and Administrative Assistance experience. Prior to joining the Center, she worked at the UC Davis, School of Law as a Faculty Support Assistant for 15 years, and previous to that she worked in the Native American Health field assisting the Native American community as an Executive Assistant at the Sacramento Native American Health Center. She has volunteered at various non-profit immigration agencies in the Bay Area. Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and fitness activities. She is proficient in Spanish.
Aidin Castillo Mazantini
Executive Director
Email: aidin.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Aidín Castillo Mazantini (she/her) is Executive Director of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center (UCIMM), which provides free immigration legal services to undocumented students and to families of students enrolled at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. With nearly twenty years of experience as an immigrants’ rights and social justice advocate, Aidin has dedicated her career to removing barriers related to immigration status and to combating immigration detention, enforcement, and criminalization.
Aidin is an experienced immigration attorney with expertise in removal defense. She previously served as Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Practice at Centro Legal de la Raza, one of the largest removal defense programs in California. Prior to becoming director of the program Aidin was a supervisor and staff attorney at Centro Legal where she represented hundreds of clients in affirmative and defensive immigration matters, including detained and non-detained cases and complex immigration matters. Prior to that, Aidin worked at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) and was in charge of launching ILRC’s national immigration policy office in Washington, DC. During that time, she worked on legislative and regulatory advocacy, including the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. She has also been a contributor to several publications and practice advisories for immigration practitioners. In 2022, Aidin was recognized by the National Legal Aid & Defender Association for her extraordinary contributions to advancing access to justice and racial equity in civil legal aid and public defense.
Aidin is a proud immigrant from Mexico, and a first-generation college student. She is a founding member of Scholars Promoting Education, Access, and Knowledge (SPEAK) one of the first undocumented student groups for college students. Aidin's experience as a formerly undocumented immigrant and DACA beneficiary, informs her work as an attorney and social justice advocate. Aidin is a graduate of UC Davis and UC Davis School of Law.
Paloma A. Puerta
Staff Attorney
E-mail: paloma.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Paloma is the staff attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center serving UC Merced. Paloma received her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego and her J.D. from the Nebraska College of Law. Her experience includes interning for Kids in Need of Defense (“KIND”) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR”), and working for California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (“CRLA”) and the United Farm Workers Foundation (“UFW Foundation”). Paloma is a proud Central Valley native, and she is excited to be serving UC Merced and giving back to the community she loves. In her free time, Paloma enjoys cooking, exploring new cities and coffee shops in particular, attending live music events, spending quality time with her friends and loved ones, and volunteering with her local church.
Angelica Escobar
Paralegal
UCSD
E-mail: angelica.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Angelica Escobar is the Undocumented Student Services Paralegal at UC San Diego. She graduated from UC Riverside in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Administrative Studies, with an emphasis in Marketing. Before pursuing her dream career in law, Angelica explored the political aspects of government by interning for the 57th Assembly District and the 41st Congressional District, and later, working for the City of Whittier. After several years of constituency service, she decided to go back to school, where she received her Paralegal Certificate from Cerritos College in 2019. Angelica began her career by volunteering with the District Attorney’s Office of Los Angeles, working in the White-Collar Crimes Division as a Volunteer Paralegal, where she assisted attorneys in a high-profile case. Then she joined the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) as a Senior Paralegal in the Removal Defense Unit, where most of her cases represented clients that were in removal proceedings before the immigration courts of Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Adelanto and Van Nuys. Angelica assisted attorneys in a wide variety of cases, primarily Asylum, 42A/42B, and SIJS, by drafting court filings and preparing clients for their merit’s hearings. On triage days, Angelica also screened minors, families and recent arrivals for immigration relief, and empowered clients by providing “Know Your Rights” Presentations. Her experience in removal defense is what confirmed and fueled Angelica’s passion for working with vulnerable communities. More specifically, she found her calling working with undocumented youth and using her resources to assist them in navigating not only the justice system, but society. In her free time, Angelica lifts, goes on runs, and attends festivals. Her hobbies include gaming, reading, and cooking. She is highly proficient in Spanish, and conversational French, and is learning Korean.
Ignacio Figueroa
Paralegal
E-mail: ignacio.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Ignacio Figueroa is a paralegal for the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento (Sac State). He has worked in the field of public service for over 15 years, where he has assisted families in a wide range of services. Ignacio has volunteered at various government and non-profit agencies involved with family support, unity, and reunification. Ignacio has over 6 years’ experience in the field of immigration law from previously working at a private practice as a paralegal. Ignacio enjoys exploring the coast of California, Oregon and Washington by bike riding and fishing.
Ritu Goswamy
Staff Attorney
E-mail: ritu.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Ritu Goswamy (they/them) is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UC Santa Cruz. They are a graduate from Barnard College, Columbia University (B.A. Psychology, minor in English) and Boston College (Joint J.D./M.S.W. degrees). Prior to joining the Center, Ritu worked as a child welfare worker in Oakland, and as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center (now Legal Aid at Work) and Legal Advocates for Children & Youth (part of the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley). Ritu was an Equal Justice Works Fellow with Homeboy Industries, where they founded the legal services program serving formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people. Ritu then ran their own private immigration law practice for 15 years focused on complex family-based and naturalization cases, U visas, VAWA, asylum, and removal defense. Ritu is also a leadership and wellness coach and published author. They enjoy hiking, walking on the beach, farmers markets and ayurvedic wellness practices. Ritu is a second-generation immigrant, and proficient in Spanish and Hindi.
Felix Haley
Office Manager
E-mail: felix.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Felix Haley is the Office Manager for the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. He graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Interpersonal Relations. Prior to joining the Center, he worked in child welfare investigations and case management, substance abuse treatment, and higher education office management positions. Felix enjoys traveling, hiking, playing piano, and racket sports.
Andres Lemons
Staff Attorney
UC San Diego
E-mail: andres.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Andrés Lemons is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UCSD through the Undocumented Student Services Center. Andrés obtained both his B.A. in Philosophy and his law degree, with a focus on immigration law, at the University of Arizona. He worked for nine years in New York City at CUNY Citizenship Now!, where he provided free immigration legal services including naturalization assistance, family-based adjustment of status, and consular processing. More recently, Andrés had a private immigration-law practice focusing on family-based immigration law as well as artist visas. He is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and Arizona, and is fluent in Spanish. Andrés enjoys playing flamenco guitar and travelling.
Alfonso Maldonado Silva
Staff Attorney
UC Riverside
E-mail: alfonso.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Alfonso Maldonado Silva is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UC Riverside. At the age of five, Alfonso and his family migrated from Michoacan, Mexico to the United States. He and his family settled in California's Central Valley, where he grew up undocumented. When it was time to apply for college, Alfonso learned that he did not qualify for financial aid because of his legal status. Nonetheless, his determination got him to UC Riverside, where he graduated with a major in Philosophy Law and Society. He then went on to attend Western State College of Law with the sole intention of becoming an immigration attorney. During law school, Alfonso became a two-time California Bar Foundation Fellow and successfully argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2017. He now proudly returns to his alma mater and helps represent a body of students he once formed part of. Alfonso enjoys spending time outdoors, whether it be in the form of gardening or hiking a local trail.
Vivek Mittal
Managing Attorney
UCLA
E-mail: vivek.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Vivek Mittal is a Managing Attorney at the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. A graduate of the UCLA School of Law, Vivek has been an Adjunct Professor at the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the UC Irvine School of Law, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Consuelo B. Marshall, Senior District Court Judge in the Central District of California in Los Angeles, California. Prior to this, he worked as an immigration practitioner at a private immigration firm in Los Angeles. In 2009, Vivek was selected to be an Equal Justice Works Fellow at the National Immigration Law Center, where he litigated high-impact cases regarding anti-immigration laws across the country, most notably against Arizona’s SB 1070 and Alabama’s HB 56. For this work, he was honored by the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA). Vivek enjoys creative writing, tennis, running and spending time with his daughter and partner. He is highly proficient in spoken Hindi.
Gina Pech
Staff Attorney
Email: gina.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Gina Pech-Sanchez is the Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Service Center out of the UCLA campus at the Bruin Resource Center. Gina earned her Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles as a part of their two-year SCALE program and her Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and American Studies with an emphasis in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley. As the daughter of Belizean immigrants, her passion for advocating for the immigrant community started at a young age. Prior to joining the center, she worked on a variety of different immigration cases including removal defense, family-based petitions, U-Visas, VAWA’s, SIJS, and Naturalizations at a private immigration firm. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, concerts, and spending time with her family and dog.
Daisy Perez
Undocumented Student Program Paralegal
UCLA
E-mail: daisy.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Daisy Perez is a Paralegal with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UCLA. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and minor in Political Science. A proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, Daisy started her career by volunteering with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) as an interpreter and traveled with attorneys to Adelanto Detention Center to assist with removal defense consultations. She then joined CHIRLA full-time as a Legal Fellow and was responsible for managing their satellite office in El Sereno and completing DACA/Naturalization applications. Prior to joining the Center, Daisy was an Intake Advisor and Designated School Official at UCLA’s Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars. She was responsible for providing initial advising services for the university’s 7500+ international student body and educating F-1/J-1 students on their responsibilities to maintain valid nonimmigrant status. In her free time, Daisy enjoys spending time with her family and watching soccer.
Rachel Ray
Managing Attorney
UC San Francisco
E-mail: rachel.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Rachel Ray is a Managing Attorney at the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. She is a graduate of UC Davis School of Law (J.D.) and Whitman College (B.A., Art History and Visual Culture Studies). Her immigration legal experience includes removal defense, family and humanitarian based immigration, and business immigration work at private firms and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining the UC Center in 2015, Rachel served as the as attorney for the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic’s Unaccompanied Minors Project, representing unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings. Rachel has served on multiple boards, including the AILA Santa Clara Valley Chapter, Somos Mayfair, and the Santa Clara Valley and Yolo County Chapters of the ACLU. Currently, she is the USCIS Sacramento Co-Liaison for AILA NorCal. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, dancing, hiking, yoga, painting, and spending time with her life partner and their child and rescue dogs. She is highly proficient in both spoken and written Spanish.
Christopher Relos
Staff Attorney
UC Davis
E-mail: chris.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Christopher Relos is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UC Davis. He grew up in Manila, Philippines, and immigrated to the United States at the age of seventeen with his parents and three younger siblings. He is a graduate of UC Davis School of Law (J.D.) and San Francisco State University (B.A., Philosophy). Prior to joining the UC Center, he worked as an immigration attorney at a private law firm in San Francisco and Glendale, California. His immigration legal experience includes removal defense, family and employment based immigration, hardship waivers, and consular processing. Chris enjoys hiking and going on long drives while listening to audiobooks and podcasts. He has language capabilities in Spanish and French and is a native speaker of Tagalog.
Lorena Rosas
DOJ Accredited Representative
E-mail: lorena.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Lorena is a DOJ Accredited Representative and is an alumna from UC Riverside holding a Master’s in Public Policy. She first attended Mt. San Jacinto College and later transferred to CSU San Bernardino where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. During undergrad, Lorena took part of the first group of DACAmented students to study abroad in Mexico, which allowed her to reconnect with her roots. Her personal experience has shaped her into an advocate for immigrant rights and supporting undocumented students pursuing higher education. As A CSUSB alumna, Lorena co-founded the first Undocumented Alumni Chapter in the CSU system. Currently, she lives in the Inland Empire, but her work expands into various California counties as part of the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. Her mission is to continue active participation in the immigrant rights movement, encouraging support and communicating available resources to her community that expand beyond DACA. Lorena is fluent in both spoken and written Spanish.
Elda Rosales
Staff Attorney
UC Irvine
E-mail: Elda.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Elda S. Rosales is the new Staff Attorney for the UC Immigrant Legal Services at UC, Irvine. Elda is an Anteater (class of 14’) and received a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a minor in Women’s Studies. She graduated Law School from the University of La Verne, College of Law in 2019 and was on the University’s Law Review. Elda’s passion for Immigration Law is fueled by her own experiences growing up in a mixed status family. Prior to joining UC Immigrant Legal Services, Elda served as a Staff Attorney at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) providing free immigration services to students within the California State University system and Community Colleges. In her free time, Elda enjoys cooking, spending time with family, and walks with her boxer, Arya.
Karia Salazar
Paralegal
UC Irvine, UC Riverside
E-mail: Karia.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Karia Salazar is a paralegal for the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center. She is a graduate from California State University, Fullerton with bachelor’s degrees in Communications: Public Relations and Ethnic Studies: Chicano Studies. Karia grew up advocating for immigrant rights and social justice. She has volunteered with various organizations to provide free legal services. Karia has over 10 years’ experience in the field of immigration law from previously working at a private practice as a paralegal. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her family, and dog.
Amber Spring
Staff Attorney
UC Santa Barbara
E-mail: amber.ucimm@law.ucdavis.edu
Amber Spring is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves UC Santa Barbara. Prior to joining the Center, Amber worked as a Staff Attorney representing unaccompanied children at Kids in Need of Defense ("KIND"). Amber previously represented families, children, and adults, in detained and non-detained removal proceedings at the Central American Resource Center ("CARECEN"). Amber also represented families, children, and adults in removal proceedings and affirmative applications at the Immigration Center for Women and Children ("ICWC"). She received her J.D. degree from Loyola Law School, where she received honors in the Immigrant Advocacy concentration and participated in the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic ("LIJC"). Amber is a proud UCSB alumna with a B.A. in English and Chicana/o Studies. Amber is from an immigrant family, who she credits with her work ethic, sense of humor, and fashion expertise. In her free time, Amber enjoys art, event planning, paddle boarding, cooking, traveling, and hanging out with her mini dachshund.