Paloma Guerrero '19

How did you feel with the end of your Immigrant Justice Corps Fellowship?

Grateful and unresolved. I instantly felt a complacency within the public on immigrant rights once Biden was elected. But we still have everything to fight for. DACA holders still don’t have a pathway for citizenship. ICE is still committing human rights violations with impunity. Nevada has yet to step up and defend our immigrant community from deportation by either banning the use of state resources for federal immigration enforcement or by putting up money for pro bono attorneys in immigration court. Our voices and outrage are still needed. #AbolishICE

What drew you to the Public Defender’s Office?

Immigration and the criminal legal system are similar. Both are deeply rooted in racism, disproportionately affect black and brown communities, and are intertwined with carceral institutions. I cannot imagine anything more fulfilling as a lawyer than defending the community against these oppressive systems (other than also working to dismantle it).
 
As an attorney, how do you affect or make changes in the community?

It’s just a willingness to do so because as attorneys we are all uniquely equipped to navigate a complex structure that was intentionally created to exclude anyone who wasn’t privileged. To anyone working in private practice: our community needs your skills and brilliance. The Las Vegas National Lawyers Guild is a great way to volunteer some time to support grass root driven movements! Interested in sex work advocacy? We got a committee for that. Environmental Justice? We got that too. Immigration. Reproductive Justice. Legal Observing. Tenant rights. Voting rights. Join at nlg.org/join.