María Perales Sanchez graduated from Princeton University in June 2018 with a degree in public and international affairs, focusing on Latin American migration and U.S. domestic immigration policy. During college, Maria was involved in advocating for migrants’ rights issues, such as wage theft, deportations, and education advocacy, through her campus’ Dream Team and partnership with local social justice organizations. In the summer of 2016, she joined CDM’s office in Mexico as a volunteer, working in areas of communication, intake, and policy advocacy. María initially came back to CDM as Ullman Policy Fellow, a fellowship awarded for a one-year public service project at the international level.

Organization(s)

Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.

Since its founding, CDM has been driven by its mission to improve the conditions of low-wage workers in the United States. Our story begins in 2004, when Founder and Executive Director Rachel Micah-Jones traveled to Mexico to meet with several of her clients in their home community. Working as a farmworker attorney in rural Florida, Micah-Jones had witnessed the abuse of migrant workers on the job and the powerful threats of retaliation that silenced them. These clients were no exception.

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