Katherine Figueroa

Katherine Figueroa, now 15 years old, was nine years old when she watched her parents arrested by Arpaio in a workplace raid on TV. She was the first person to draw national attention to a deportation case, through organizing children’s marches and giving testimony in front of Congress about how Arpaio affects families. She starred in the documentary Two Americans, sharing her story as a powerful counterpoint to Arpaio’s reign of terror in Maricopa County.

Alfredo Gutierrez

Alfredo is a long-standing political force in Arizona; elected to the Arizona Senate in 1972 and its Majority Leader in 1973. He served as leader through the remainder of his tenure. He founded Jamieson & Gutierrez, the state’s leading public relations and policy firm. In 2001 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor. Subsequently he founded the Internet newspaper – La Frontera Times focused on immigration. Alfredo hosted Arizona’s most listened to talk radio program in English or Spanish: “Escucha y Ponte Trucha con Alfredo Gutierrez” heard daily.

Alfredo received the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Fellowship in its inaugural year. He was Arizona Chairman of the first Jimmy Carter Presidential Campaign, and recipient of a Fulbright teaching fellowship at Colegio de Mexico. Alfredo received a Doctoral Degree, Honoris Causa, from Arizona State University. He has completed his first book, “To Sin Against Hope”. Verso Books is the publisher.

Other sessions: The Evolution of Immigrant Rights: From Political Empowerment to Progressive Change, How Progressive Arizona Became Tea Party Arizona

Victoria Lopez

Victoria López is the Legal Director and oversees the legal program at the ACLU of Arizona including litigation to defend civil rights and liberties in Arizona. She joined the ACLU of Arizona in 2009 and previously served as the organization’s Policy and Advocacy Director and staff attorney. Victoria is a former Equal Justice Works fellow, staff attorney and executive director of the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Champaign and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

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Jose Mejia

Jose Mejia was also arrested in a workplace raid by Arpaio, and spent almost a year in county jails and detention before his family secured his release through organizing with Puente. He is now ineligible for any immigration relief despite having 3 US Citizen kids.
Here’s some videos about his families struggle to stop his deportation

Francisca Porches

Other sessions: A Movement Not a Moment: Fighting Fast Track in Arizona (sponsored panel)

Noemi Romero

Noemi Romero was working to pay for her DACA application when she was arrested in a workplace raid by Arpaio. Her mother organized with Puente to secure her release, and now Noemi works on the Uno por Uno project of Puente, helping other people fight their deportation cases.