Our Special Programs Team

Lauren Keenan supports the Legal Programs Department at KIND, which she joined in October 2021. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Latin American Studies & Human Rights from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2008, and earned her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in 2013. Lauren has been an advocate for immigrants throughout her career, with a particular focus on survivors of human trafficking and other violent crime. Most recently, she was the Supervising Attorney for the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center’s anti-trafficking project. Prior to that role, Lauren spent several years as a staff attorney with NMILC representing survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and those seeking asylum in the United States. Before beginning law school, she worked as an intensive case manager for immigrant survivors of human trafficking in New York City, and her experience working with directly with clients and learning more about the challenges facing the immigrant community in the United States inspired her to apply to law school and become an immigration attorney. Lauren is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Kayleen Hartman is the Managing Director, Family Separation & National at KIND. She comes to the role having previously served as the Director of the Removal Defense Project at the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School. Kayleen's previous roles at immigration non-profits include her work as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the Children’s Representation Project at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, and as a staff attorney at Ayuda, a Washington D.C. immigrants’ rights organization. In addition to immigration work, she has served as policy counsel for human trafficking issues at Shared Hope International, and been a fellow at Georgetown's Human Rights Institute, where she worked on school-to-prison pipeline issues. Kayleen earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center with a Certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies. In 2011, she received Georgetown’s Bettina Prukmayer Award for Human Rights. Kayleen received her B.A. from Davidson College. , Kayleen is licensed to practice law in California and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.”

Nick Stefaniak is a Managing Attorney, Mexico based in Tijuana with KIND’s Mexico Initiative. Prior to joining KIND, he worked for Catholic Charities of Baton Rouge where he led a team that conducted the Legal Orientation Program in rural Louisiana detention centers and represented detained adults in removal proceedings. Previously, he was the Georgetown Fellow at Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston where he provided services for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, refugees, dreamers, and asylum-seekers. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center where he received a Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies Certificate after working with a team researching barriers children face seeking asylum in Mexico. Prior to law school, Nick taught high school English in Miami and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. Nicholas is licensed to practice law in Maryland and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

A seasoned immigration rights attorney focused on the needs and rights of immigrant and refugee children, Christie Turner-Herbas currently serves as KIND’s Senior Advisor for Global Legal Representation, Assistance and Litigation. In this role, she oversees KIND’s family unity work and informs and contributes to the development of KIND’s legal services strategy globally. A subject matter expert on family separation and the U.S.-Mexico border, Christie’s work includes maintaining public dialogue on family unity and advocating for systemic change to achieve safe pathways and lasting solutions for immigrant children and families. Christie joined KIND in August, 2013 as Managing Attorney (local executive) of our Washington, DC/Northern Virginia field office. In 2017, she was named Deputy Director, Legal Services, overseeing KIND’s east coast field offices. In 2018, she transitioned to a role leading special initiatives, including KIND’s family separation response and our involvement in the Ms. L v. ICE litigation. She also launched KIND’s programming in Mexico and at the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to joining KIND, Christie was a Supervising Attorney at Catholic Charities’ Hogar Immigrant Services, where she represented low-income immigrants in deportation cases, family-based immigration matters, and applications for humanitarian relief. Previously, Christie was an education and employment policy fellow at the National Women’s Law Center. She started her legal career at the Federal Trade Commission, supporting consumer protection investigations and federal litigation before returning to school to obtain her law degree. Christie earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Tufts University in 2002 and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 2008. While in law school, Christie worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Catholic Charities, and American Gateways, and participated in the Immigration Law Clinic and Transnational Worker Rights Clinic.

Dulce paid her way through school, and subsequently transferred to the University of California San Diego where she received her bachelor's degree in Political Science. She attended law school at Cleveland Marshall College of Law where she received her Jurisprudence Doctorate with a concentration in Civil Litigation. Dulce opened her private practice in 2016 and has provided hundreds of free consultations and dozens of Know Your Rights workshops to inform community members of their rights. She has represented low income clients in court in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and various nonprofit organizations. Dulce organized legal clinics in Tijuana to process over 1,000 asylum seekers into the US. In September 2017, Dulce sued Trump and the administration after the termination of DACA. As a result of those efforts in court, hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients are able to renew their DACA status while the case is in litigation. Dulce was in the Supreme Court on November 12, 2019 defending DACA. Since then, Dulce continues to advocate for more humane immigration laws and policies. Dulce is licensed to practice law in California and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Cielo Fortin-Camacho is a proud immigrant committed to serving vulnerable populations. Prior to joining KIND’s border team in Juarez, Mexico, Cielo spent 3 years in Baltimore, Maryland providing client-centered, trauma-informed, culturally competent legal services and representation to unaccompanied minor children in asylum cases, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, T visas, and U visas as well as removal proceedings before the Immigration Court. She also provided technical assistance and mentoring to pro bono partners likewise representing unaccompanied minor children. Cielo has written for numerous publications, including various chapters of the number one cited global money laundering and anti-terrorism treatise. Additionally, Cielo’s articles and comprehensive research on diversity within the legal profession has won awards and served as training material at state bar conferences. Cielo is a graduate of Texas A&M School of Law, where she represented the law school as a Scribe inductee with The American Society of Legal Writers, served as the president of the Immigration Law Initiative and International Law Society, and was the recipient of several public interest grants. Cielo is also a graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, and Dalian University of Foreign Languages in Dalian, China. Cielo currently serves as the vice-president of Benny’s Books, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit she co-founded to promote literacy among Latino children and children from low-income families. Cielo speaks French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and English. Cielo is licensed to practice law in Texas and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Bio coming soon!

Rachel Bennion supports the Family Separation and Special Programs team at KIND. She joined KIND in April 2021. Prior to joining KIND, Rachel helped manage the immigration pro bono program and represented clients seeking immigration relief at Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services in Washington, D.C. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Public Administration, and a J.D. from Brigham Young University. Her prior experiences include serving as a community organizer for a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, completing clerkships with the National Immigration Law Center and Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, and representing unaccompanied minors in Asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile cases at Catholic Charities San Francisco. She is fluent in Spanish and is a member of the California Bar. Rachel is licensed to practice law in California and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Rodolfo is a passionate about social justice and advancing the rights of the immigrant community, children, and other vulnerable populations. He joined KIND Baltimore in 2017 as a Gallogly Family Foundation Public Interest Fellow and transitioned to the Family Separation Team after completing his fellowship. He is a graduate of American University—Washington College of Law (JD) and Yale University (BA). While in law school, Rodolfo served as a student attorney for the Immigrant Justice Clinic and spent the majority of his time interning and volunteering at public interest organizations, including Whitman-Walker Health Legal Services, ABA Center on Children and the Law, CAIR Coalition, and South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project (ProBAR). Prior to law school, Rodolfo worked for five years an elementary school teacher, primarily teaching at Title I schools in Houston and Miami. Rodolfo is licensed to practice law in Maryland and Texas and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Bio coming soon!

Irene Vega joined KIND in January 2024, as a Staff Attorney, Special Programs – Mexico. She supports the Legal Programs department. Irene has experience as an advocate for vulnerable populations, representing cases before COMAR in Mexico and providing services for access to information, legal advice, and translation. Irene has worked on projects specialized in gender, with intervention in women, children and the LGBTIQ+ community. Her efforts focused on ensuring access to human rights for healthy cultural, economic, and social development for vulnerable populations. Irene has led local and international projects including publishing research in the journal 'Agora' on the impact of crime on motherhood in vulnerable populations and new migration policies. Irene is committed to social justice and advocacy. During her career, she has played key roles in the development of activities for awareness-raising and protection of rights, consolidating herself as a figure that advocates for access to equal rights for all.

Joshua Rodriguez supports the International Program at KIND. As a first generation, queer, Afro-Latino he personally understands the importance of everyone having the opportunity to be heard. His passion for defending the human rights of migrants is rooted in his family's migration experience from Ecuador to the United States. His professional career has included analyzing potential cases for clients and designating critical strategies for each case as well as appearing before various immigration courts throughout the United States for Master Calendar Hearings and Individual Hearings. His case load has included family petitions, deportation defense, asylum, bond hearings, and assistance with consular processing. As an attorney licensed to practice in the state of Alabama, he was able to represent minors for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases. Joshua also co-hosted legal segments on iHeartMedia, discussing the civil rights of individuals. He received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law where he was awarded the Dean scholarship throughout his attendance. He was the president of the Hispanic Law Student Association, and a member on the Trial Advocacy team. Joshua received his bachelor's degree in Political Science Pre-Law at Saint Peter's University in his hometown Jersey City, NJ.

Ximena Camargo supports the Special Programs – Tijuana, Mexico at KIND as a Staff Attorney, she joined the KIND team in July 2021. Graduated magna cum laude from Anahuac University in Cancun Mexico, currently studying a master’s degree at Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales in Human Rights and Democracy. Before joining KIND, she worked in Asylum Access Mexico, as an International Refugee Attorney representing people in need of international protection during the refugee determination process in Mexico, also she worked as a Refugee Attorney in the Jesuit Service for Migrants, giving law consults to people in need of international protection, and victims of human rights violations, al last she word as an constitutional attorney in Alma Migrante, being the managing attorney of the constitutional process concerned about human rights violations, specifically does who affected the migrant population. Ximena is licensed to practice law in Mexico and is engaged in the federal practice of immigration law.

Bio coming soon!

Coming soon.

Evelyn Rivera is a Temporary Paralegal with KIND's International Programs. She brings a personal and professional passion for immigration advocacy. Born in Medellin, Colombia, and raised in Central Florida, her experiences in a mixed-status family fueled her commitment to this cause. Evelyn's advocacy journey started in 2010 with the Hope CommUnity Center's Sin Fronteras Youth Group, leading her to United We Dream (UWD). At UWD, she significantly contributed to the successful Right to Dream Campaign and the enactment of DACA. Her skills further developed at Catholic Charities of Central Florida, where she became an accredited representative, aiding legal permanent residents in becoming U.S. citizens through the USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. Recently, Evelyn worked as a legal assistant at the Orlando Center for Justice, supporting their legal team. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and is keen on continuously enhancing her legal knowledge in immigration law.

Marla Arteaga supports the team of Special Programs as Paralegal. Prior to joining KIND, Arteaga worked for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), providing technical assistance to different projects related to justice and crime prevention in Mexico. Also, she has developed in different public and private institutions, where she completed an internship at the Embassy of Mexico in France during the COVID-19 health emergency. She has supported the implementation of international cooperation projects in international organizations and consulting firms. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from the Autonomous University of Baja California and she is currently completing her last year of a Master's Degree in International Migration with a focus on Human Trafficking.

Miriam Castro supports Legal Programs department at KIND since January 2024. Before joining us, she graduated from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez (UACJ) where she studied law. During her career she performed her social services at the university's law firm helping in the filing of lawsuits in family proceedings and developed a deep sense of community support and access to justice. After graduating, she worked as a Paralegal at HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) where she focused on the promotion and defense of rights of vulnerable population, taking information to different shelters and strategic points on how to access international protection systems for people fleeing their country of origin. She also has experience in creating care routes through assessments of the context and needs of the population in order to provide a dignified and quality service.

Emelie is originally from Sweden and has been living in Mexico for 10 years. She joined KIND as a family outreach supervisor in October of 2021. Emelie is a specialist in human rights, migration in Central America, Mexico and the United States, legal assistance for victims of crime, asylum- seekers and refugees and vulnerable groups including women, unaccompanied minors and LGBTQ persons. She also specializes in professional training and evaluation and has many years of experience managing multi-lingual teams from different cultures. Prior to joining KIND, Emelie was part of the protection team at IOM Ciudad Juarez and the human rights coordinator at La 72 Shelter for Migrants and Refugees. Emelie lives and works remotely in Ciudad Juarez with her partner and their son.

Georgina Ramos supports the Social Services Department at KIND in Tijuana, Mexico, since June, 2021. Has been working with Non Profits for more than 17 years. Right out of High School, she lived one year as a volunteer at a Women’s Shelter near Mexico City. She coordinated the Information and Communication Technologies Department of Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes Mexico for almost 11 years, where she specialized in Networking in the Central and North American Region to provide services to migrants and their families and refer them as required; design and implemmentation of Psycho-educational Programs in Veracruz, Puebla and Mexico City; of Data Bases to register Human Rights Violations and Missing Migrants; accompany students and volunteers from Mexican and US Universities, among others. Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Library Science and has studies from the Master’s Program in Education from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico City and she is honored of putting her knowledge and experience into service of vulnerable Migrant Children.

Mario is a Mexican psychologist with a specialty in social justice and social development. Born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mario has focused his work on the border context and has collaborated with a variety of non-governmental organizations. Mario has extensive experience working with people in vulnerable conditions such as those living with HIV, substance abuse/addiction recovery, migrant populations along the border and LGBTTTI+ groups. Mario has been part of the team since August 2020, joining first as a Social Services Consultant. Mario assesses the safety and needs of KIND’s clients by providing psycho-emotional support, as well as helping them connect with other services such as education, health, food, housing or clothing.