Being born in Denmark and then growing up in the US, I’ve seen how the immigration system is rigged, and how my journey stands in stark contrast to that of so many others. I’m driven by an unwillingness to be complicit in furthering the destruction the US immigration system is inflicting on people’s lives.

I serve as the Executive Director of the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ), the only national organization training undergrads to provide free legal representation to asylum seekers and to organize for immigrant justice. The fall of 2020 marked the beginning of SCIJ’s first pilot year with programs at Brown University and Worcester State University (WSU).

27 students are currently being trained by SCIJ, providing them with a broad overview of immigration law and community organizing. Starting in January, students will provide remote legal assistance to asylum seekers at the Southern border. After students have gained experience, they will be paired with one of SCIJ’s partner attorneys and work together on an asylum case for someone in their community. As students work on cases, they will develop organizing strategies with clients and local immigrant communities to advocate for issues important to them.

Prior to SCIJ, I co-founded The Right to Immigration Institute (TRII) at Brandeis University, which is the US’s first program training undergraduate students to provide legal services to immigrants. I also bring over 5 years of experience in community and advocacy organizing with multiple campaigns across Massachusetts on the local, state, and federal levels.