Virtual Discussion: RAICES and The Fight to Keep Families Together

Manoj Govindaiah, Director of Litigation

Prior to becoming the Director of Litigation, Manoj was the Director of Legal Strategy and Training at RAICES, and prior to that was the Director of Family Detention Services where he oversaw RAICES’ work at Texas family detention centers. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2006.

Andrea Meza, Director of Family Detention Services

Andrea is the director of RAICES’ legal services program at the Karnes family detention center in Karnes City, Texas. She began her work at Karnes as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and helped expand RAICES’ volunteer program to support families detained at Karnes. Andrea then served as the Albert M. Sacks Clinical Teaching and Advocacy Fellow at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program for the 2017 academic year before returning to RAICES. As Director of RAICES’ work at Karnes, Andrea has worked with the family detention services team to expand and restructure the program to better serve detained families under the Trump administration and to continue to advocate for the abolition of family – and all – detention.

Julia Valero, Karnes Pro Bono Volunteer Manager

As Karnes Pro Bono Volunteer Manager, Julia coordinates legal, social work, and other volunteers in providing services to families detained at Karnes. As a Legal Assistant with RAICES in 2018, Julia worked closely with formerly separated families who faced indefinite imprisonment in Karnes family detention center after their reunification.

Join fellow RAICES friends and supporters in our virtual screening room to watch “The Fight.” At this defining moment in American history, “The Fight” follows a scrappy team of heroic ACLU lawyers in an electrifying battle over abortion rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights and voting rights. “The Fight” is an inspiring, emotional insider look at how these important battles are fought and the legal gladiators on the front lines fighting them. Directors Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, and Eli Despres capture the rollercoaster ride of the thrill and defeat in these deeply human battles. When a mother is separated from her child, a soldier is threatened to lose his career, a young woman’s right to choose is imperiled at the pleasure of a government official, and the ability to exercise our basic right to vote is threatened, the consequences can be devastating to us and to future generations. “The Fight” celebrates the unsung heroes who fiercely work to protect our freedoms. Learn more and watch the trailer.