Melissa leads CGRS’s affirmative litigation, direct representation work, and appellate practice before federal courts and immigration agencies. Before joining CGRS, Melissa was a Senior Supervising Attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Immigrant Justice Project, where she led strategic litigation and advocacy to promote fair and humane immigration policies. From 2010 to 2017, she served as Legal Director of the American Immigration Council, where she oversaw the development of a robust docket of litigation intended to enhance due process for immigrants, promote government accountability, and challenge overly restrictive interpretations of our immigration laws.