meet
Our Team
Anne Chandler
Kristin Etter
Cristian Sánchez
Jessica Cisneros
Krystal Gómez
Robert “Bobby” Painter
Priscilla Lugo
Salvador Gutierrez
Giselle Tervalon
Eva Sikes
Amanda Davé
Anthony Reyes
Bethany Carson
Maram Sultan
Sarah Kole
María Jose Vallejo Manzur
Saul Gámez
Marcela Evans
Xóchitl Fuentes
Alex Mendoza
Ariadne Acevedo
Hannah Alexander
Ruben Benavides
Juan Jose Martinez Guevara
Founding Executive Director
Anne Chandler
Anne Chandler is the Founding Executive Director of the Texas Immigration Law Council. Anne’s lifetime work of advocating for the rights of immigrants has been recognized by the State Bar of Texas and the Christian Science Monitor. She served as on the boards of the Houston’s Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, American Immigration Council, and Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. Prior to joining the Texas Immigration Law Council, Anne served as the Executive Director of Houston Volunteer Lawyers (2020-2023) and the Executive Director of Tahirih Justice Center’s Houston office (2009-2020). From 2002 to 2009 she instructed law students as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Houston Law Center’s Immigration Clinic. Anne received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1998.
Director of Policy and Legal Services
Kristin Etter
As the Director of Policy and Legal Services at the Texas Immigration Law Council, Kristin Etter develops strategies and programs to move forward practical immigration reforms for Texas and our nation. Prior to joining Texas Immigration Law Council, Kristin served as the Special Project Director of Operation Lone Star at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid where she developed and implemented the litigation response to Operation Lone Star. With over 20 years of federal and state litigation and policy experience, Kristin frequently shares her expertise on immigration and border issues with state and federal governmental officials, non-governmental organizations and media. In addition to representing thousands of immigrants throughout her legal career, Kristin is also regularly engaged in collaborating with advocacy organizations and policy makers, drafting and analyzing legislation, testifying on legislative issues, and educating immigrant communities, attorneys, judges, students, business and law enforcement groups.
Economic Justice Director
Cristian Sánchez
Cristian is the Economic Justice Director at Texas Immigration Law Council. Prior to joining Texas Immigration Law Council, Cristian served as a supervising immigration attorney at RAICES in San Antonio. He led a team of advocates defending immigrants from deportation. He also led a project assisting transgender women detained at the South Texas Detention Complex with access to counsel and advocacy. Additionally, he developed and ran an emergency shelter in Tijuana for a self-formed group of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, as well as a temporary shelter for released transgender women in San Antonio. Cristian graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2017. During law school, he worked at the ACLU of Southern California’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. He also led a pro bono program that assisted transgender people in correcting their names and gender markers on their identity documents.
Managing Attorney
Jessica Cisneros
Jessica Cisneros is the Managing Attorney at the Texas Immigration Law Council. Prior to joining the team, Jessica served at RAICES as the supervising attorney for the Laredo Removal team and as a staff attorney for the Family Detention/Expedited Removal team. Since graduating from The University of Texas School of Law in 2018, Jessica has dedicated herself to providing pro bono legal services to low-income families and asylum-seekers facing immigration detention and those affected by ever-changing border policies. Jessica hopes to use her removal defense experience, her advocacy for South Texas communities, and her upbringing on the U.S.-Mexico border to continue cultivating projects and coalitions necessary to educate and to create better immigration policy.
Managing Attorney
Krystal Gómez
Krystal Gómez brings over a decade of experience to her role as Managing Attorney at the Texas Immigration Law Council. Raised on the Texas border, Krystal has dedicated her career to advocating for the rights of border crossers and immigrant communities. Prior to joining TILC, she served as the Legal Director at Lincoln Goldfinch Law, where she represented thousands of clients nationwide in their immigration matters. Krystal graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2010 and has since worked with numerous organizations dedicated to advancing immigrant rights in Texas, including the Equal Justice Center, ACLU of Texas, the City of Austin’s Commission on Immigrant Affairs, AILA, the Equal Voice Network, and many others. Through this work, Krystal has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of migration, including immigration law and public policy impacting immigrants. She frequently shares her expertise through media appearances, CLE presentations, Know Your Rights events, and legal clinics across the state.
Managing Attorney
Robert “Bobby” Painter
As a Managing Immigration Attorney at the Texas Immigration Law Council, Bobby supports practitioners and legal service providers across the state in their efforts to deliver more services to more people. Prior to joining Texas ILC, Bobby spent over ten years at the Austin-based immigration nonprofit American Gateways, where he served in various roles, including Staff Attorney, Director of Pro Bono Services, Interim Executive Director, and Legal Director. Throughout his career, Bobby has represented hundreds of clients in a range of immigration matters, including asylum, removal defense, and applications for humanitarian visas. Bobby is a graduate of Macalester College (2009) and the University of Minnesota Law School (2012).
Director of Communications & Advocacy
Priscilla Lugo
Priscilla Lugo is the Director of Communications & Advocacy at the Texas Immigration Law Council. Priscilla is from the border in South Texas and works at the intersection of creating accessible information and policy, and is dedicated to fighting for her community and building systems to protect the rights of immigrants. Priscilla was formerly a Justice Advocate Coordinator at LatinoJustice where she worked on immigration policy issues and piloted an immigration court watch program in Laredo, Texas. She has her BA from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from the LBJ School of Public Affairs with a Master of Public Affairs in 2022.
Immigration Outreach and Communications Coordinator
Salvador Gutierrez
Salvador Gutierrez is the Immigration Outreach Coordinator & Communications Associate of the Texas Immigration Law Council. He served as the membership chair on the board of Elevate Amarillo, an organization that works to advance the careers of young professionals in the Texas Panhandle. He currently serves as the Founding President of the Amarillo Council for the Latino Arts in Amarillo, Texas. Prior to joining the Texas Immigration Law Council, Salvador served as the Tourism Coordinator of Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Social Media Strategist of Amarillo College Foundation. Salvador is currently working on his Bachelors in Public Relations and Advertising at west Texas A&M University.
Senior Communications & Content Strategist
Giselle Tervalon
Giselle Tervalon is the Senior Communications & Content Strategist for the Texas Immigration Law Council. Prior to joining the team, she served as Communications Manager at a brand reputation firm. Giselle also worked as the Associate Director of Storytelling at the Center for American Progress, where she harnessed the power of storytelling to drive policy change. A native of California, Giselle launched her career by interning on Capitol Hill, where she discovered her passion for advocating for immigrant rights and improving lives nationwide. She holds a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Economic Justice Managing Attorney
Eva Sikes
Eva Sikes is an Economic Justice Managing Attorney at the Texas Immigration Law Council. Eva began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow focused on preserving intergenerational wealth for low-income and immigrant families on the Texas-Mexico border. She is a member of the Council for the Consumer and Commercial Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Prior to joining Texas Immigration Law Council, Eva was a Staff Attorney at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, representing rural Texans to defend against evictions and foreclosures, challenging predatory lending, as well as practical estate planning for multigenerational households. Eva received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Project Manager - Economic Justice Initiative
Amanda Davé
Amanda Davé is the Project Manager for the Texas Immigration Law Council’s Economic Justice Initiative. Amanda brings a public health background and experience managing large-scale community health initiatives that target non-medical drivers of health in low-resource settings, and is committed to improving systems for marginalized communities. Throughout her career, she has interned with The Carter Center and worked for organizations such as the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative and UTHealth Houston School of Public Health to serve vulnerable populations in settings ranging from rural communities in Malawi, Peru, and Honduras to underserved areas along the U.S.-Mexico border. She holds a B.S. in Neuroscience and International Studies from Trinity University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. A native Houstonian, Amanda is now based on the Texas-Mexico border and remains dedicated to advancing community-based solutions that prioritize cultural competence and sensitivity in program delivery, while recognizing the critical link between health and access to justice.
Equal Justice Works Fellow – Partnership and Education Coordinator
Anthony Reyes
Anthony Reyes is a first-generation graduate and the son of Salvadoran immigrants, committed to advancing justice for marginalized communities. He brings over eight years of legal experience across the nonprofit and pro bono sectors, with expertise in immigration, refugee resettlement, and human rights advocacy.
Before joining the Texas Immigration Law Council, Anthony served as the Global Pro Bono Coordinator at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), where he managed the daily operations of IRAP’s 26 law school chapter network, oversaw partnerships with domestic and Latin American organizations, and led cross-border program initiatives.
His prior work includes providing legal support to detained adults in ICE custody, unaccompanied minors in ORR shelters, and youth with complex immigration cases, as well as advocating for housing accessibility and the rights of low-income individuals through poverty law initiatives across various nonprofits in Texas.
Anthony holds a Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in Public Administration from the University of Texas and a Paralegal Certificate from UT Austin’s Center for Professional Education.
Equal Justice Works Fellow – Community Justice Worker Coordinator
Bethany Carson
Bethany brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of grassroots organizing, legal empowerment, and movement-building to her role as Community Justice Worker Coordinator at TxILC. As part of TxILC’s Economic Justice Initiative, she supports a dynamic statewide cohort of Community Justice Workers—non-attorney fellows who are expanding access to justice for noncitizen communities across Texas through direct services, legal accompaniment, and systemic advocacy.
Since 2014, Bethany has worked alongside detained immigrants and their loved ones in the fight against incarceration, criminalization, and deportation. She has organized legal accompaniment programs, developed political education curricula, and coordinated campaigns to close detention centers and reallocate public funds away from policing and prisons toward community-driven care. Her work has involved training and mentoring community members and volunteers, mobilizing impacted community members to shift local and state policy, and authoring reports on the criminalization of migration and the influence of private prison lobbying.
Bethany’s approach is grounded in building community power to creatively transform systems from the ground up, and a deep commitment to justice and dignity for all. When not working towards system transformation, you can find her singing, playing whistle tunes at Irish music sessions, tending to her plants, or playing with her chihuahua.
Equal Justice Works Fellow – Technology Innovation Specialist
Maram Sultan
Maram has spent over five years working as an analyst in the legal aid sector, using data to drive strategic decision-making and organizational improvement. Passionate about the intersection of technology and social justice, she brings a strong technical foundation grounded in her background in computer science and mathematics, and is enthusiastic about contributing to the mission and growth of TxILC. Beyond her professional work, Maram enjoys nurturing her creative side and building community through photography, fiber arts, and the traditional craft of Islamic illumination.
Director of Finance & Operations
Sarah Kole
Sarah Kole serves as the Director of Finance & Operations at the Texas Immigration Law Council (TxILC), where she leads the organization’s financial management and day-to-day operations. She is passionate about helping nonprofits build strong systems so they can focus on serving their communities.
With more than a decade of experience in nonprofit finance and operations, Sarah is known for her attention to detail, collaborative approach, and commitment to making financial processes clear and accessible. She enjoys being a resource for others and takes pride in supporting teams so they can do their best work.
Sarah earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Houston–Downtown and is currently on the path toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Economic Justice Managing Attorney
María Jose Vallejo Manzur
María Jose Vallejo Manzur is an attorney licensed in Mexico and Texas who has been working in public interest law since 2010. During her tenure at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Maria coordinated a U.S. State Department funded project that focused on building the capacity of non-profit organizations and outreach presentations for at risk populations in northeastern Mexico to address the scourge of human trafficking in that region.
In 2018, Ms. Vallejo graduated from The University Texas of Law School’s Master in Laws Program and became licensed to practice in Texas later that year. Before becoming licensed in Texas, Maria represented domestic violence survivors whose children had been abducted from the U.S. before Mexican courts to retrieve after a successful ruling and reunite the children in Texas with their parents. She then became the Director of TRLA’s Bi-National Project on Family Violence, representing low-income victims of domestic violence whose children have been abducted by their violent fathers from one country to another or who themselves have fled with their children to Texas.
Digital Strategy & Technology Specialist
Saul Gámez
Saúl Gámez works at the intersection of technology and advocacy, developing systems that expand accessibility and create new entry points for civic engagement. His work focuses on modernizing digital infrastructure to strengthen collaboration across Texas’s immigration justice network and to better connect emerging advocates and professionals entering the field.
At the Texas Immigration Law Council, Saul supports the design and implementation of digital tools, content frameworks, and analytics systems that help legal service providers and partner organizations coordinate more effectively. His approach emphasizes sustainability, usability, and data-informed strategy to ensure technology continues to advance advocacy and access to justice at scale.
Managing Attorney
Marcela Evans
Marcela brings a breadth of professional experiences and a multifaceted lens that she applies to her work as Managing Attorney with the Texas Immigration Law Council. Marcela has focused her legal practice on providing stability, security, and education for her clients and communities. Prior to joining the team, Marcela held various leadership roles at Kids in Need of Defense in California, Georgia, and Texas – including leading a team housed at a detention facility at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas, and led the Children’s Program at Human Rights Initiative of North Texas in Dallas, Texas. Marcela has served as an Advisory Committee Member for the ABA Children’s Immigration Law Academy, and as a Leadership ISD Legislative Voices Fellow focusing on education advocacy in Texas. Marcela graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies with concentrations in Business and Spanish, and later earned her Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law. During law school, Marcela participated in an international program focused on Human Rights and Humanitarian law in The Hague, Netherlands, and Freiburg, Germany.
Program Coordinator Fellow
Xóchitl Fuentes
Xóchitl Fuentes is the Program Coordinator Fellow at the Texas Immigration Law Council. She began her career in education as a teacher with Teach For America, but later pursued her Masters degree in International Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University (2024), where she focused on migration theory and immigration policy. Since then, her work has centered on supporting individuals and families navigating complex immigration challenges. She previously worked with the International Rescue Committee, where she resettled over 500 refugees and their families, and as a paralegal, where she supported clients on humanitarian cases including asylum, VAWA, and ICE bond. She also served as a fellow with Esperanza United, where she presented her policy analysis to the White House Domestic Policy Council on the T Visa, deepening her understanding of the legal and systemic barriers undocumented survivors of domestic violence face. Most recently, she has worked as a college advisor in a low-income High School where many of the students are undocumented and first-generation. She is driven by a deep commitment to advancing just and equitable immigration policies and ensuring all immigrant communities have access to the legal resources they deserve.
Program & Operations Coordinator
Alex Mendoza
Alexavier Mendoza serves as the Program & Operations Coordinator at the Texas Immigration Law Council, where he supports programs, operations, and executive leadership to advance access to justice for immigrant communities across Texas. He is an administrative and operations professional committed to supporting the systems that help deliver legal services to immigrant communities.
Prior to joining the organization, Alexavier worked in Harris County government, supporting both an award-winning Justice of the Peace court and a County Commissioner’s Office. His work included contributing to eviction diversion initiatives focused on housing stability in his community, as well as supporting operations within a large communications division. He also interned for the late Sylvester Turner and has been involved in nonprofit organizations and political campaigns focused on increasing civic engagement and youth voter participation.
Fundraising Coordinator
Ariadne Acevedo
Ariadne Acevedo, known as Ari, brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit and political fundraising, with a passion for building community power and supporting meaningful change. As a proud fronteriza, Ari has a deep personal connection to the cultural richness and challenges of the U.S.-Mexico border region. Her work reflects her commitment to social justice and community empowerment.
EJI Program Managing Attorney Fellow
Hannah Alexander
Hannah Alexander is the Program Managing Attorney at Texas Immigration Law Council. She has spent much of her career representing immigrant workers as a Staff Attorney at Workers Defense Project and as an Equal Justice Fellow at the Equal Justice Center. Hannah also served as a Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Texas where she represented individuals with mental illness who experienced abuse, neglect, and exploitation in carceral and institutional settings. Hannah also has significant public policy experience, particularly in areas of workers’ rights, immigrant justice, public safety, and preemption. She has served in roles at the City of Dallas, at the Texas Legislature, and most recently at Local Progress, a network of local elected officials elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government.
Program Associate Fellow
Ruben Benavides
Ruben Benavides is a Program Associate Fellow at the Texas Immigration Law Council. With over six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Ruben has spent most of his career supporting immigrant and refugee communities across the country. Prior to joining the Texas Immigration Law Council, Ruben worked at HIAS, where he managed the collection of data related to the Preferred Communities program, provided technical assistance to a national network of affiliate partners, and contributed to quality assurance and training efforts. Before that, he helped implement a new supportive housing program for Ms. L Settlement class members. Earlier in his career, Ruben worked as a Legal Assistant in Laredo, where he supported the rollout of a new helpdesk program at the immigration court and assisted a legal team representing clients in removal proceedings.
Directly working with clients navigating complex systems helped shape how Ruben approaches his work today, driving his focus on building the operational infrastructure, data quality, and systems that allow programs to serve clients more effectively and equitably. Born and raised in Laredo, Ruben’s connection to the border community continues to inform the values he carries into his work. He holds a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.
Impact & Communications Coordinator Fellow
Juan Jose Martinez Guevara
Juan Jose Martinez Guevara is the Impact & Communications Coordinator Fellow at the Texas Immigration Law Council. Originally from Mexico, he grounds his passion for social justice in his experience as a formerly undocumented Texan. Juan Jose brings over 6 years of experience in advocacy, research, and storytelling to help the Economic Justice Initiative tell the story of its work, grounded in research and real program data, and build trust with impacted communities.
Prior to joining TxILC, Juan Jose served as the Campaign & Training Strategist at United We Dream where he created Powered by Students: The Takeover!–a distributed, capacity-building program to exponentially train and grow the number of immigrant, working-class young people advocating for change in their communities. He has also previously worked with Jones Day and Workers Defense Project providing direct legal aid to immigrants in detention seeking asylum and immigrant Texans facing workplace exploitation and wage theft.
Juan Jose holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. In his off time, he enjoys hiking, reading, and learning through travel.
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