Len Rodrguez, Director

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Kathy Baran
Director, California Service Center
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
October 1, 2016
RE: Support for Granting DACA to Law School Graduate and Undocumented
Organizer Lizbeth Mateo
Dear Director Rodriguez and Director Baran,
We write to you as professors and academic professionals, and immigrant rights
advocates because we are extremely concerned by the intent to deny the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) request by Lizbeth Mateo, recent law school graduate
and soon to be attorney, and long-time, nationally known, immigrant rights organizer.
We, the individuals and organizations listed below, fully support Lizbeths request and
ask DHS to exercise a favorable decision and grant DACA to Lizbeth.
Lizbeth Mateo moved to Los Angeles, California with her family at the age of 14. She
grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Venice High School and attended both Santa
Monica College and Cal State University Northridge, where she received a degree in
Chicano and Chicana Studies. Lizbeth always had her eye on higher education, but she
was also well aware of the limitations that she and other undocumented students like
herself would face due to their status. So Lizbeth began organizing at CSUN and then
moved to organizing in her community. For several years Lizbeth was at the forefront of
the fight for the rights of the undocumented community.
In 2010 she was an integral part of the undocumented student movement, participating in
the first civil disobedience by undocumented organizers and bringing the fight for the
Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to the forefront.
After the failure of Congress to pass the Dream Act in 2010, Lizbeth and other young
people around the country co-founded the National Immigrant Youth Alliance and
organized, many putting their own futures on the line, to pressure the Obama
administration to grant a reprieve of deportation to undocumented youth and their
parents. Many of these young people staged peaceful sit-ins inside key Obama for
America campaign offices to pressure the administration, while at the same time
highlighting the horrendous condition and abuse suffered by immigrants detained in
private detention centers around the country. It was this kind of protest that produced
conditions that led the Obama Administration to institute DACA in the first place. In fact,
Lizbeth was one of the first undocumented youth to engage in this type of actions; actions
that throughout the history of our nation have led to significant changes and progress.

In 2013, Lizbeth returned to Mexico briefly and spent a short period of time with family
she had not seen in nearly two decades. Lizbeth knew the pain of so many young people
who had come to the United States as children but were forced to return to Mexico due to
family separation or the lack of educational opportunities. Lizbeth returned with eight
other DREAMers and asked, publicly, to be allowed to come home to their families. The
Dream 9, as they came to be known sought to highlight the damage caused by family
separation and called for the immediate reunification of families. After spending 17 days
at the Eloy Detention Center in Arizona, a private detention center operated by the
Corrections Corporations of America (CCA), Lizbeth and the rest of the Dream 9 were
allowed to return to their homes in the United States.
Lizbeth was able to return home just in time to begin her law school career at Santa Clara
University. This past May she graduated and received the Dean's Leadership Award for
her volunteer work with low-income workers, especially her efforts to recover over
$30,000 in unpaid wages for clients at the Katharine and George Alexander Law Center
and her numerous internships serving the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Lizbeth has received several job offers, which she has been forced to decline due to
USCISs failure to exercise discretion and grant Lizbeths DACA.
USCIS has stated that they intend to deny Lizbeths DACA because of her departure
from the U.S. during the Dream 9 action, because it took place after [DATE]. But
Lizbeths brief departure from the United States in 2013, and her return with the Dream
9, was part of her long fight for the rights of the immigrant community.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designed DACA as a discretionary
program to defer the deportation of young people like Lizbeth, and allow them to receive
a work permit and contribute to our society. DHS has been using this authority to
exercise discretion for years, both to grant and deny relief to immigrant, and it was
designed precisely with people like Lizbeth in mind. Hundreds of thousands of youth
have benefited from DACA thanks to Lizbeths efforts and those of dozens of activists
like her. Denying her DACA, a benefit that she has long-struggled for would not only be
profoundly unjust, it would go against the spirit of the program and is a grave misuse of
discretion.
Denying Lizbeths request for DACA would send a message that political expression in
support of immigrants rights will be punished. As professors, academic professionals,
attorneys, and community organizations, we ask that USCIS reconsiders its Notice of
Intent to Deny and grants Lizbeths DACA application.
Sincerely,

Link to petition: http://bit.ly/LizbethDACA

Education Professionals and Attorneys
**Title and Institutional Affiliation for identification purposes only**

Alejandra Garcia

B.A. International studies, The City College of New York,

CUNY

Allegra McLeod

Professor of Law, Georgetown University

Amalia Pallares

University of Illinois at Chicago

Amanda Lashaw

Assistant Professor, UC Santa Cruz

Amy Chen

Senior Attorney, National Health Law Program

Angelica Amezcua

PhD Student at ASU

Anna von Herrmann

Anne Kane

Attorney
Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Houston
Downtown

Anne-Lise Breuning

Lead Inspector

Annie Lai

Assistant Clinical Professor, UC Irvine School of Law

April Szabo

Principal, Lacuna Legal

Arcelia Gutierrez

Instructor, University of Michigan

Arely Zimmerman

Assistant Professor at Mills College

Aurora Guerrero
Barbara Schwartz

Filmmaker
Emeritus Clinical Professor of Law, University of Iowa College
of Law

Beezer de Martelly

PhD Candidate, UC Berkeley

Benita Roth

Binghamton University

Beth Lyon
Betsabeth Monica
Lugo

Clinical Professor of Law, Cornell Law School

Bonnie Kwon

Attorney, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Britton Schwartz

Clinical Fellow, UC Berkeley Law

Caleb Jackson

UCLA Law Student

Former Adjunct Professor, Yeshiva University, Benjamin N.
Cardozo School of Law

Careen Shannon
Carrie Rosenbaum
Csar Cuauhtmoc
Garca Hernndez

Visiting Scholar at University of Houston

Adjunct Professor, Golden Gate University School of Law

Assistant Professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Cesar Pulgarin

Realtor

Chantiri Ramirez

University of California Los Angeles

Charles B. Chang

Assistant Professor, Boston University

Chris Newman
Christine Lin

Legal Director, National Day Laborer Organizing Network

Managing Attorney, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies California

Christopher N. Lasch

Associate Professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

David Sloss

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University

Executive Director, Katharine & George Alexander Community
Law Center

Deborah Moss-West
Desiree D. Zerquera,
Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco

Devora Gonzalez

University of Arizona

Donald J. Polden
Dr. Chela Delgado,
PhD

Dean Emeritus and Professor of Law, Santa Clara University

Dr. Janice Gallagher

Assistant Professor, Rutgers University-Newark

Dr. Sandra Ruiz

Assistant Professor of Spanish, West Los Angeles College

Earl price

Retired Administrator

Edelina M. Burciaga

Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Colorado Denver

Elisabeth Semel

Clinical Professor of Law, UC Berkeley School of Law

Elissa Steglich

Clinical Professor, University of Texas School of Law

Elizabeth Keyes

Assistant Professor, University of Baltimore School of Law

Lecturer, San Francisco State University

Elizabeth McCormick Associate Clinical Professor, University of Tulsa College of Law

Elizabeth Wagoner

Attorney, NM Center on Law and Poverty

Ellen Kreitzberg

Professor of Law

Ellie Siegel

Co-Director of the Writing Program, Hampshire College

Emily Yu
Emma Fuentes

Privacy Solutions Manager, TRUSTe

Associate Professor, School of Education, University of San
Francisco

Eric W. Wright

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

Erin Ploss-Campoamor Independent film producer

Fanny Lauby

Assistant Professor, William Paterson University

Farah Rahaman

Rutgers School of Law Newark

Francis Madi

Regional Outreach Associate, New York immigration coalition

Gary Neustadter
Genevieve NegrnGonzales

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

Ginny Jones Boss

Assistant Professor Michigan State University

Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco

Gloria Negrete-Lopez Doctoral Student, University of Arizona

Gregory Max Berger

Universidad Autnoma del Estado de Morelos

Gustavo Magana Jr

Attorney

Gwen McEvoy

Associate Professor, Sociology, Nazarbayev University

Hadar Aviram
Hector Jimenez
Carreno

Professor, UC Hastings College of the Law

Hiroshi Motomura

UCLA School of Law

Iliana Sosa

Filmmaker

Irene Scharf

Professor of Law, Univ. of Mass School of Law

Iris Gardner

Owner

Jacinto M. Salazar III

CSU Monterey Bay, Success Advisor

Jaclynn M Hawkins

Assistant Professor Michigan State University

Jacqueline Ancess

Teachers College, Columbia University

Jacqueline Herrera

Demo Engineer, Cisco

Jeff Goodwin

Professor of Sociology, New York University

Jeffrey Selbin

Clinical Professor of Law, U.C. Berkeley School of Law

Jennifer J. Lee

Temple University Beasley School of Law

Jennifer L. Ansay

Supervisory Attorney, Justice for Our Neighbors

Jennifer M. Chacon

University of California, Irvine

Jessica Cabrera

San Joaquin Immigrant Youth Collective

Jillian Mayer

Dartmouth college BA, University of Michigan MS

Joanna Hernandez

UC Irvine
Capital Resource Counsel, Maricopa County Public Defenders
Office, Phoenix, Az.

John Canby
John Cantu

Dream Center Specialist (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Jon Bauer

Editor at Universal Studios

Clinical Professor of Law and Richard D. Tulisano '69 Scholar in
Human Rights, University of Connecticut School of Law

Jon Hart

Attorney

Jonathan Cortez

Graduate Student, Brown University

Jonathan Weinberg

Professor of Law, Wayne State University

Jorge E. Moraga
Jorge Garcia

Washington State University, Pullman

Emeritus Dean College of Humanities California State
University Northridge

Jose Garcia

Retired High School Teacher

Jos Luis Benavides

Jos M. AguilarHernndez, Ph.D.

California State University, Northridge

Julia Tomassetti

Assistant Professor, Cal Poly Pomona

Ph.D Candidate, Department of Gender and Women's Studies,
University of Arizona
Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong School of
Law

Julio Salgado

Visual artist

Karina Santellano

Graduate student, University of Southern California

Kathleen Coll

Assistant Professor of Politics, U. of San Francisco

Kathleen Ridolfi

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

Kent Wong

Director, UCLA Labor Center

Kimberly Pikul

Pikul Law
Faculty/PhD Candidate, University of San Francisco/University
of Michigan

Juan D. Ochoa

Kimberly Reyes
Kip Austin Hinton
Kristan Venegas

Assistant Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Professor, Clinical Higher Education, University of Southern
California

Kristina Mazzocchi

Partner, Mirer Mazzocchi Schalet Julien & Chickedantz, PLLC

Laura Casas

Trustee - Foothill - De Anza Community College District Board

Laura Enriquez
Laura NussbaumBarberena

Assistant Professor, UC Irvine

Lauren Gilbert, Esa.

Professor of Law at St. Thomas University School of Law

Leisy Abrego

Associate Professor, UCLA

Leo Trujillo-Cox

Executive Director, Academic Outreach -- UCLA Law

Leslie D Gonzales

Assistant Professor
Robert D. and Leslie Kay Raven Professor of Law, UC Berkeley
School of Law
Clinical Professor of Law and Legal Director, Northern
California Innocence Project at Santa Clara University School of
Law

Leti Volpp

Linda Starr

Visting Faculty, Bennington College

Lindsay M. Harris

Assistant Professor of Law, UDC David A. Clarke School of

Law

Lisa Amor Petrov

Asst Prof Spanish Dominican University

Lucero Garcia

University of California, Irvine

Luis C. Franco
Lynn Roberts

Attorney
Asst Professor CUNY Graduate School of Public Health &
Health Policy

M. Isabel Medina

Professor, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Maitreya Badami

Assistant Legal Director, Northern California Innocence Project

Manuel R. Cuellar
Marc Johnston
Guerrero

Assistant Professor, George Washington University

Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University

Marcelle Maese Cohen Assistant Professor of English University of San Diego

Marcia I. Perez

Law Office of Marcia I. Perez

Executive Director, Mass. Coalition for Occupational Safety and
Marcy Goldstein-Gelb Health
Margalynne Armstrong Associate Professor or Law, Santa Clara University
Maria Mendez

Diocese of San Bernardino

Mariana Huerta Jones

Campaign and Communications Coordinator, ACT-LA

Mariela Nez-Janes

Associate Professor, University of North Texas

Marina Hsieh
Marisol CondeHernandez

Senior Fellow, Santa Clara University School of Law

Marsha Wenk Public Interest Law Fellow, Rutgers Law SchoolNewark

Maurice Goldman

Attorney

Meghana Reddy

Partner, Time of Day Media

Melanie Benesh

Legislative Attorney

Mia Trachinger

Lecturer, UCLA

Michael A. Olivas

Professor of Law, University of Houston Law Center

Michael J. Wishnie

William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law, Yale Law School

Michael Mandel

Attorney

Michael P. Young

Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin

Michele Ferri

Attorney

Michelle Lee

Staff attorney, The Legal Project

Michelle McKinley

Bernard B. Kliks Professor of Law, University of Oregon

Michelle Oberman

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University

Mindy Phillips

Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, UC Berkeley School of Law

Miriam Marton

Tulsa Immigrant Resource Network

Molly Sterner

National City Elementary Teachers

Monica Mar

Assistant Director of Academic Outreach, UCLA School of Law

Monisha Bajaj

Associate Professor, University of San Francisco

Mony Ruiz-Velasco

Executive Director, PASO

Nancy Leong

Associate Professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Nancy Morawetz

Professor of Clinical Law, New York University School of Law

Nicholas Vargas
Nicole Arlette Hirsch

Professor, University of Florida

PhD Candidate, Harvard University - Fellow, University of San
Francisco

Nicole Auffant

PhD Student, Rutgers University

Nirali Jani
Noelle Sharp

Doctoral Candidate, UC Berkeley

Attorney and Owner of Immigration Law Offices of Noelle
Sharp

Nora Devlin

Lead Academic Coach, Rutgers University

Norma Rivera
Oonagh C. Doherty,
Esq.

Attorney

Oriel Mara Siu

Paige Kaneb
Patty Rauch

Attorney at Law
Latina/o Studies Director and Assistant Professor, University of
Puget Sound
Associate Clinical Professor at Santa Clara University Law
School

Paul J. Goda, S.J.

Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Law

Professor Emeritus, School of Law, Santa Clara University,
Santa Clara, CA

Peter Searles

De Anza College

Philip J. Jimenez
Pratheepan
Gulasekaram

Professor of Law

Rachel Brahinsky

Assistant Professor, Univ. of San Francisco

Rachel Rosenbloom

Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law

Reese Ingraham

Student at Occidental College

Renee Tajima-Pena

Professor, UCLA

Rev. Mindy Fugarino

Rev., Life Connections Program, BOP

Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law

Rinya Kamber

Carleton College

Robert W. Peterson

Professor of Law, Santa Clara University

Roberta Villalon

Associate Professor, St. John's University

Rose Cuison-Villazor

Professor of Law

Ruben Zecena

PhD Student, University of Arizona

Salvador C. Fernandez Professor, Occidental College

Sameer M. Ashar

Clinical Professor, UC Irvine School of Law

Sandra Hamada
Sara B. Brooks

Media & Publishing Director, Community Coalition

United Steelworkers: Health, Safety and Environment
Department

Sara P. Alvarez

Doctoral Student/ University of Louisville

Sarah Elwood

Professor, University of Washington

Scott Goodell

Project Director- UCLA Labor Safety and Health Program

Shannon Gleeson

Cornell University

Skip Horne

Senior Assistant Dean, External Relations, Santa Clara Law

Clinical Teaching Fellow, Policy Advocacy Clinic at UC,
Stephanie Campos-Bui Berkeley, School of Law
Stephanie M. Wildman Professor of Law, Santa Clara University
Stephanie Marina
Segovia
Program Director - Program Director
Stephen Ruszczyk
Steve Ngo

Assistant Professor, Montclair State University

Attorney and Member, Board of Trustees, City College of San
Francisco

Susan Erwin

Senior Assistant Dean for Student Services, SCU Law

Susana Muoz

Assistant Professor Colorado State University

Taina Gomez

Solano County Deputy Public Defender

Tammy Johnson

Vicki Huebner

TMJ Abundance Consulting

Assistant Clinical Professor at Santa Clara University School of
Law
Assistant Dean for Law Career Management, Santa Clara
University

Victor Narro

Lecturer in Law, UCLA School of Law

Victoria Alvarez

University of Illinois at Chicago

Victoria Mena

Policy Director at Colectiva Legal del Pueblo

Vilma Ortiz

Professor, UCLA

Thiadora Pina

Vilma Ortiz

Professor, UCLA

Virginia Martinez

Attorney at Law

Vivian Shaw

University of Texas at Austin

W. David Ball

Associate Professor, Santa Clara Law School

William Nathan Canby Attorney, Los Angeles

Xochitl Cruz

One Million Degrees

Zachary Shepard

Attorney, UCLA SOL 2005 graduate

Noriko Milman

Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco

Shirin Sinnar

Associate Professor, Stanford Law School

Sabi Ardalan

Senior Clinical Instructor, Harvard Law School

Keo Chea

Attorney

Margaret Russell

Professor, Santa Clara University

Pamela Papish

Teacher, NYC Department of Education

Christy Kwon

Attorney

David Hornik

Lecturer, Harvard Law School

Micaela Presti

Volunteer Healing Well, San Francisco

Betsy Hornik

Harvard Division of Continuing Education (retired)

Jean Beaman

Purdue University

Pamela D. Nieto

Adjunct Professor University of Houston Law Center

Allen S. Hammond, IV Professor of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law

Kelsey Burke

Attorney

Dafney Blanca Dabach Assistant Professor, University of Washington

Sarah Rogerson

Director, Immigration Law Clinic - Albany Law School

Grace L. Dillon
Margarita Prado
Alvarez
Dolores Street
Community Services

Professor Portland State University

Supervising Attorney, KGACLC, Santa Clara University School
of Law

Gloria L Orozco

Adjunct professor Occidental College

Robyn Gomez

Social Worker

Cinthia Flores

UCLA Labor Center

Gilbert Saucedo, Esq.

Attorney/National Lawyers Guild - Los Angeles Chapter

Lilian Jimenez

Attorney

Dolores Street Community Services

David Yosifon

Associate Professor

Cc: Jeh Johnson, Secretary

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Alexandro Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security