Staff

Erika is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. She volunteered for Michigan United providing support to the undocumented community regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Citizenship. Also volunteered during the COVID pandemic to spread reliable information, in English and Spanish, about the virus and vaccines available, as well as providing information about programs and supports available for unlawful families in need. She is passionate about helping and supporting immigrant people, especially children, through Michigan Immigrant Right Center. She has a Law Degree in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish.

Garance is a Supervising Program Coordinator on the UC team at our Ypsilanti office. Before joining MIRC, Garance worked with various nonprofits, political campaigns, and charitable organizations to advocate for the causes that she is passionate about, such as environmental justice, progressive legislation, and immigrant rights. In 2021, she graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a B.A. in International Affairs and a minor in Communications. She is a Native French speaker and is also proficient in Spanish. As an immigrant herself, Garance is committed to using her privilege to ensure that all immigrants are given the same opportunities she was when first arriving in the U.S. as a child.

Gladys is a legal assistant for the Unaccompanied Minors Team in Ypsilanti. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with an Honors degree in History. She specializes in early 20th-Century American history with a focus on the Constitution, the impact of nationalism, and social justice. She also enjoys art and music. Gladys was born in South Haven, MI to immigrant parents and has since developed a strong sense of justice and protectiveness toward the immigrant community. Her goal is to become an attorney and continue to assist the community through public policy, litigation, and overall human compassion. Gladys is fluent in Spanish.

Grace Erway is a Paralegal on the Afghan Arrivals Team in Kalamazoo. Originally from Kalamazoo, she recently graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology/Sociology from Kalamazoo College and is a proud beneficiary of the Kalamazoo Promise scholarship. In her time at Kalamazoo College she was able to study abroad in Costa Rica and write a research based undergrad thesis, on the history of white supremacy and its presence in migrant related law. In her free time she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, singing and bartending.

Before joining MIRC, Holly held a variety of positions in the nonprofit and for-profit spaces, focusing on state policy, advocacy, business strategy, and human resources. She is an advocate for human rights and holds a firm belief that everyone deserves grace and a sense of belonging. Inspired to do more to address our systems of inequity, she recently obtained a master’s degree from Grand Valley State University and graduated with high distinction from University of Michigan where her studies focused on historically marginalized and excluded communities and their relationships with the history, theory, and practice of punishment in the United States. While at the University of Michigan, she co-founded the Sentence Commutation Project at the U-Mich law school.

Izamar is a part of MIRC’s unaccompanied minors team as a Community Referrals legal assistant. She graduated from Hope College in 2015 and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Clinical Counseling at Aquinas College. She has a deep passion for advocating for families and listening to their needs and concerns. In her free time, she loves meeting new people and learning new languages.

Jessie is a Legal Assistant for the Unaccompanied Children’s Team, based out of the Kalamazoo office. She started her experience at MIRC as an intern from Western Michigan University in the spring of 2023. She graduated from Western with a B.S. in Speech Pathology, a B.A. in Spanish, and a minor in American Sign Language. She is passionate about advocating for those in her community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks with her dog, and exploring new hobbies.

Júlia joined MIRC in 2023 as a Legal Assistant with the Immigration Court Helpdesk program. Being an immigrant from Brasil with Japanese grandparents, she is committed to standing in solidarity with all immigrants, especially those sidelined by the legal system. Júlia graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs from Eastern Michigan University, where she focused her studies in Latin American politics, human rights, and community-led development. After graduation, she collaborated on research for the non-profit International Samaritan and worked as a nanny. In her free time, Júlia enjoys reading, cooking with her friends, and doing nail art.

Katerin “Kat” Solorzano was born and raised in Guatemala, and she and her family immigrated to the US in 2005. Kat is a DACA recipient which allowed her to earn her Paralegal Studies Certificate from MCC, and she has actively practiced alongside multiple Metro-Detroit Immigration Attorneys for the past 7 years, specifically within the family based-sector. She is fluent in Spanish and English, has two cats and is a documentary fanatic.

Lexi Andre joined MIRC’s Unaccompanied Children’s Program as a Staff Attorney in May 2021. She received her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School where she served as a student attorney with the Human Trafficking Clinic and the Criminal Appellate Practice Clinic. She also interned for the Law Reform and Development Commission of Namibia, International Service for Human Rights, and the Family Law Project. Lexi also attended University of Michigan for her undergraduate degree in Classical Languages and Literatures with a minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies.

Lizzette joined the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center in January 2020 as a bilingual legal assistant working specifically with unaccompanied children in Long Term Foster Care, and is now a Supervising Program Coordinator on the same team. Lizzette is a California native, born and raised in Los Angeles, who’s parents immigrated from Mexico and El Salvador. She is dedicated to advocating for immigrant rights, and mental health. Lizzette worked many years providing interpretation services for the Latinx community in Michigan courts and it’s partnering agencies like the Children’s Assessment Center. She is state certified as a Judicial Interpreter for the Spanish language and recently became certified in Mental Health First Aid.