Tune into our Monday Meals discussion with Monique Berlanga and Abby Sullivan Engan from Centro Legal de la Raza, along with Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez of Somos Familia to discuss recent efforts around immigration defense and keeping our immigrant communities safe.
As Executive Director, Monique brings years of experience to lead Centro Legal into the next chapter of its storied history. Monique previously served as Interim Co-Executive Director and Directing Attorney of the Tenants’ Rights Practice, leading a dedicated team of attorneys and advocates working to prevent evictions of low-income tenants in the East Bay. Monique has represented low-income tenants in the East Bay for ten years. Monique worked as a housing staff attorney with Bay Area Legal Aid where her practice focused on eviction defense in the context of subsidized housing and representation of tenants in fair housing matters. Prior to that, Monique spent five years as the managing attorney of the Eviction Defense Center in Oakland. While at the Eviction Defense Center, Monique litigated over a thousand cases on behalf of low-income tenants facing eviction from their homes in Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County. While at the Eviction Defense Center, Monique gained extensive experience in unlawful detainer jury trials. Monique holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall). While in law school, Monique was the recipient of the Hon. Cruz Reynoso Social Justice Fellowship. She also served as co-chair of the La Raza Law Students’ Association. A first-generation college student, Monique holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from California State University, Hayward. Monique is from Hayward, CA.
—
Abby brings a proven track record of successful advocacy in defending children and families at risk of deportation. Since joining Centro Legal in 2018, Abby successfully represented several hundred immigrant families and unaccompanied minors in cases involving asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and other humanitarian immigration relief. Before joining Centro Legal, Abby worked at an immigration law firm, handling a wide range of removal defense and family-based cases and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Ninth Circuit. Abby graduated from UC Law San Francisco with a concentration in Public Interest Law. After law school, Abby clerked for U.S. District Judge Martha Vázquez of the District of New Mexico.
—
Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez is an Afro-Indigenous, non-binary immigrant, educator, and community organizer dedicated to LGBTQIA+ advocacy, education justice, and immigrant rights. A former OUSD student, Sasha navigated the school system as an undocumented, unhoused, and English Language Learner, experiences that fuel their passion for equitable education and systemic change. A former political candidate for Oakland School Board, Sasha continues to advocate for inclusive and community-driven policies in education and beyond. They serve as a member of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Spanish Advisory Committee, ensuring language accessibility in elections, and as the Vice President of the Latine Young Democrats Club, working to uplift young Latinx voices in politics. With over a decade of experience in coalition building, policy advocacy, and transformative family engagement, Sasha currently leads as the Executive Director of Somos Familia, championing spaces for Latinx LGBTQ+ youth and families. Their commitment to education organizing, leadership development, and grassroots empowerment continues to drive systemic change in Oakland and beyond.