Prior to joining NIJC, Ellie served as a legal assistant with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Dallas, where she supported refugees, asylees, and other members of the immigrant community on a range of legal matters including adjustment of status, naturalization, family reunification, DACA, and work authorization. Previously, she was a senior refugee resettlement caseworker with the IRC in Los Angeles, where she supported newly resettled refugees in their transition to life in the U.S. In addition to this work, she also contributed to specialized programs, including the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program and the Central American Minors Program. Ellie has also interned with the Unaccompanied Children’s Program at IRC Los Angeles and volunteered with several legal advocacy efforts, including the Immigration Court Help Desk and Legal Orientation Program at the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project and as a child advocate with the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. Ellie holds a B.A. in History and Social Justice from Knox College and an M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. Her graduate thesis examined the Mexican repatriation campaigns of the 1930s, comparing their narrative and impact in Chicago with those in cities across California and Texas.