Sandra Esther Avalos Ortega. Born in Michoacán, Mexico, Sandra Esther Avalos Ortega came to the U.S. in 1996 at a young age. Even before she received protections through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals* (DACA) program, Sandra dedicated herself to empowering disadvantaged youth in her home city of Dallas, Texas. She entered the advocacy space to fight for the rights and safety of immigrant families like hers and to ensure that all people in the Lone Star State can live long, happy, and prosperous lives.
In border states like Texas, immigrants and their families are often the backbones of their communities, but they are frequently the targets of persecution by local politicians and police, making them feel unsafe. In response to this maltreatment, young immigrants and allies have formed local networks to defend immigrants’ rights, meet the needs of their own communities, and join together against attacks on their well-being. In that spirit, Sandra joined a group of young immigrant activists in the Dallas area known as the North Texas Dream Team*. Today, as the group’s vice president, Sandra is helping lead their efforts to empower immigrant communities in the north Texas area—providing legal defense and financial assistance to those in need and holding state and local leaders accountable through mass mobilization.
Sandra is a Millennial and self-proclaimed powerful, unapologetic Latina who fights to empower her community—especially young immigrants. She’s also the proud mother of a ten-year-old daughter, Judith, who shares her mother’s activist spirit.
This project is supported by funding from the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life, made possible by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.
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