I am incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected as the 2026 Jennifer Caldwell Fellow. This grant has supported me in pursuing the human rights work that I’m passionate about, through research at the UW Center for Human Rights, and beyond.
During my time as a researcher in the Immigrant Rights Observatory at the Center for Human Rights, I focused on monitoring compliance with sanctuary laws in Washington state. I had the opportunity to contribute to research examining the flagrant human rights violations taking place at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, digging into the extensive surveillance network of Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers, trying to understand the relationship between third-party data brokers and the Department of Homeland Security, and more. My work often involved filing and managing public records requests as well as assisting with Freedom of Information Act requests on occasion, skills that have helped me develop a budding appreciation for a well-organized spreadsheet. In all seriousness, though, the practice of carefully crafting language for records requests in the hopes of yielding responsive records and holding agencies accountable to our state’s laws has offered me a window into all that is possible when we question the people who supposedly hold power in our communities and demand better of them.
It has been amazing to be a part of an institution like the Center for Human Rights, which has built the value of care into its research methods. This has meant everything from people holding an abundance of patience for me when I first learned unfamiliar research skills, to getting to mentor new researchers when they joined the team, to the way the Center for Human Rights has grounded itself in its sustained relationships with community organizations. I have really appreciated seeing, and even getting to be a small part of, the Center for Human Rights’ dedication to supporting the work of people at the forefront of the migrant justice movement. My work at the Center has helped me see how research, when done thoughtfully, intentionally, and in partnership with community members, can be a way to mobilize care in our communities.
As part of my time as a fellow, I also had the opportunity to work with the People’s Defense Collective as a legal assistant this past summer. The People’s Defense Collective is a group of movement lawyers who use their knowledge of the legal system to sustain liberation movements. I was able to assist attorneys with preparing detained clients’ habeas petitions and bond hearings by visiting people at the Northwest Detention Center, helping manage the client intake process, and contributing to legal research and writing. I’m grateful I had the chance to draw on the skills I developed through my work at the Center for Human Rights to support the People Defense Collective’s legal work.
I am excited to carry forward the impactful experiences I’ve had at the Center for Human Rights as I enter a new chapter after graduating from UW, and I hope to attend law school to study immigration law through a migrant justice lens. I can’t thank the Jennifer Calduwell Fund and the Center for Human Rights enough for their support!