Announcement
The IRC in Elizabeth is excited to welcome a new staff member, Milagros Apolaya, to the Immigration Department. As the new Immigration Caseworker, Milagros will continue her passion for helping others through assisting clients with core immigration services like adjustments of status and citizenship applications, but also with such services as checking court dates, and connecting clients with representation if they are in removal proceedings. Milagros was previously an intern at the IRC in 2018, when she studied Political Science and Sociology at Rutgers University in Newark. She reflects that the Immigration Department has changed and grown since she interned two years ago. Sheila Moreira Esq., Immigration Supervisor, notes the increase of immigration clients currently in removal proceedings, and how the department has adapted to meet those needs.
Milagros is already hard at work on behalf of IRC's clients.
Photo: Julie Scesney/IRC.
Throughout her career, Milagros has been especially interested in assisting populations immigrating to the United States from Central America. Her experience includes working at a law firm focused on immigration, where she observed firsthand the hardships people experience trying to come to this country.
Born in Peru, Milagros can also relate personally to the challenges of moving to the United States, and it “touches [her] heart” when clients say “God bless you” after she has helped them in some way. She believes this population can benefit from more awareness of the resources available to them, whether it is immigration assistance, help in finding a job, or opportunities to go back to school.
Milagros has future goals of becoming an immigration attorney and eventually becoming a judge to continue helping those who migrate to the United States. The Immigration Department and the IRC office as a whole are thrilled to have Milagros onboard, and can’t wait to see all she will do with IRC clients!
To support the IRC in Elizabeth’s immigration work, click here.