Our fellows program brings together prominent immigration scholars, policymakers, and other public figures across the ideological spectrum in a non-resident capacity. Our Fellows include multiple former U.S. Senate-confirmed and other executive branch officials with experience shaping immigration and policy from the White House and executive Departments and Agencies (under Presidents of both parties); a former New York City Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s former lead immigration expert; former executive directors of leading migrant rights civil society organizations; and a current member of the Trump Administration, among others.
Jonathan Baselice is a former Vice President of Immigration Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC. With a robust background in legislative affairs, he has played a crucial role in shaping immigration policy, actively engaging with Congress and executive agencies to advocate for comprehensive reforms. Before joining the Chamber, Jon worked as a Legislative Assistant/Counsel for U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, where he was instrumental in drafting key legislation and representing the Senator’s positions on critical issues such as labor and homeland security.
Jon began his career in law as a Summer Associate at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, where he focused on immigration legal matters. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law and holds dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from Syracuse University. Admitted to practice law in Florida and New York, he is an active member of several professional organizations and has received notable recognitions, including being named a Top 25 EB-5 Attorney for 2019 and included in Marquis Who’s Who in Immigration for 2023-2024. Outside of his professional commitments, Jon is involved in various community and leadership initiatives.
Dan Berger is a partner at Green & Spiegel, leading the firm’s Academic and Medical immigration team. With over 25 years of experience in immigration law, he is an Academic Fellow at Cornell Law School and an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. Dan played a key role in President Biden’s waiver program for Dreamers, and is a legal adviser for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (bipartisan congressional caucus).
A frequent speaker and writer, his insights have been featured in major media outlets including the Atlantic and USA Today. He has authored works for the Brookings Institute and the American Council on Education. In addition to advising thedream.us, the largest private scholarship fund for Dreamers, Dan co-founded a DACA clinic at Cornell focused on employment-based options, path2papers.org.
He is dedicated to supporting DACA and undocumented students and has received the “President’s Commendation” from AILA for his exemplary service. Dan wrote an Issue Brief for the American Council on Education on preparing for the second Trump Administration, and is now on the Board of Directors of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Dan’s interest in immigration began at Harvard College, where he studied immigration history. He graduated from Cornell Law School.
Michelle Brané is a former Ombudsman for the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman at the Department of Homeland Security. She led a significant team and managed a multimillion-dollar budget while conducting oversight of immigration detention practices. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Family Reunification Task Force, where she successfully executed a Presidential Executive Order aimed at reuniting families separated by previous administrations.
Prior to her roles at DHS, Michelle served as the Senior Director of Migrant Rights and Justice at the Women’s Refugee Commission, where she managed substantial budgets and led advocacy efforts at national and international levels. Her extensive experience also includes direct engagement with various government agencies and significant contributions to policy reform and public engagement initiatives. A recognized thought leader in her field, Michelle has been featured in major media outlets and has received multiple awards for her outstanding contributions to immigration law and human rights advocacy.
Theresa Cardinal Brown has more than three decades of multifaceted expertise in immigration and border policy, spanning legal practice, government service, think-tanks, policy advocacy, and consulting. She has been director of immigration and border policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; associate director of business immigration advocacy at the American Immigration Lawyers Association; and worked in the immigration practices of large Washington, D.C.-based law firms.
Brown’s government career spanned the presidential administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During the Bush administration, she was a policy advisor in the office of the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and was on Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff’s Second Stage Review of USCIS. In 2005 and 2006, she became a member and later director of the Immigration Legislation Task Force in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Policy. She then served as the first DHS director of Canadian affairs in the DHS Office of International Affairs, and subsequently was named the first DHS attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, continuing until she left government service in 2011.
Along with her Cornell fellowship, Theresa currently serves as a senior advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and holds appointments as an Immigration Fellow at the George W. Bush Institute and the National Immigration Forum, and is a Leader of the Council on National Security and Immigration. She extends her expertise to clients through her consultancy, Cardinal North Strategies, LLC.
A passionate advocate for equity and justice, Hincapié is the former Executive Director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, where she spent over two decades shaping some of the most pivotal legal and policy fights on behalf of low-income immigrants. She played a key role in supporting immigrant youth in creating and defending DACA, as well as U.S. citizens and their undocumented spouses in achieving the recent Keeping Families Together policy. She co-founded the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition to expand access to safety net programs, the #NoMuslimBan campaign, and the #ImmigrantsAreEssential cultural campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Randel Johnson is the Chair of USDOL Administrative Review Board and a former Senior Vice President for Labor, Immigration & Employee Benefits at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and held distinguished positions in executive agencies and on Capitol Hill. Johnson has played a crucial role in comprehensive immigration reform efforts, having testified before both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. He co-authored a white paper on targeted immigration initiatives at Cornell Law School, where he serves as a Distinguished Immigration Scholar.
A graduate of Denison University and the University of Maryland School of Law, Johnson holds a Master of Laws in labor relations from Georgetown University Law Center and a graduate certificate for Senior Managers in Government from Harvard Kennedy School. He is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and he is active in the Maryland and D.C. bar associations.
His contributions extend to various steering committees and task forces, including the Brookings Institution’s Quality Alliance and initiatives related to border issues and workforce development.
Charles Kamasaki is former executive vice president at UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization. He also is a fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and has written a book about immigration policy called Immigration Reform: The Corpse That Will Not Die. Mr. Kamasaki is currently a Distinguished Visiting Immigration Scholar at Cornell Law School.
Bitta Mostofi is a former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within the Department of Homeland Security. In her role, she focuses on enhancing customer experience and implementing strategic solutions to streamline processes for applicants. Bitta has a track record of successful collaboration with various stakeholders, having established trusted partnerships with local and state governments to support newly arrived immigrant communities.
Previously, Bitta served as the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) in New York City, where she led initiatives to address social disparities affecting immigrant populations. Her efforts included managing a substantial budget and coordinating a range of programs aimed at improving access to services and benefits for over 3.1 million immigrant New Yorkers. Known for her leadership and advocacy, Bitta has built coalitions at both local and national levels to promote pro-immigrant policies, demonstrating her commitment to fostering inclusive communities.
Avideh Moussavian is a former Senior Advisor to the Director at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), where she led a team of over 160 professionals in shaping and implementing immigration policy. With a strong background in legislative advocacy, Moussavian played a pivotal role in key initiatives, including the NO BAN Act and support for immigrant-inclusive COVID relief measures.
Before her tenure at USCIS, she held various leadership roles at the National Immigration Law Center, where she spearheaded federal advocacy efforts and served as a spokesperson for national media outlets. Her international experience includes working as a Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where she provided legal support to defense teams. Moussavian has also contributed to significant policy changes through her work with various non-profit organizations and law firms, championing the rights of immigrants and survivors of gender-based violence.
Seema Nanda is a former Solicitor of Labor at the U.S. Department of Labor. As chief enforcement officer, she led a team of 500 attorneys, managing litigation and enforcement of over 150 labor statutes and advising the Secretary of Labor on critical regulations that support workers’ rights, particularly for vulnerable and immigrant populations.
Previously, Nanda was a Fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Work life Program, focusing on labor law policy proposals, and worked as a consultant for the Biden Administration Transition. From July 2018 to May 2020, she served as CEO of the Democratic National Committee, overseeing operations and key strategies for the organization.
Nanda also served as Executive Vice President and COO at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, where she enhanced advocacy and operational effectiveness and led the Office of Immigrant and Employee Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Her extensive experience reflects her commitment to advancing workers’ rights and promoting social justice through legal and policy initiatives. In addition to consulting for businesses, foundations, and nonprofits, she is currently also a fellow at Workshop and Harvard Law School’s Center for Labor and A Just Economy.
Amy Nice is a former Assistant Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she led initiatives on STEM talent policy. Amy practiced law at Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, D.C., for over twenty years, managing the immigration practice from 1997. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Tulane University and earned her law degree from George Washington University.
Recognized as a thought leader in immigration law, Amy received the Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award in 2023 and, earlier in her career, the Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award and the Philip Burton Award for her contributions to pro bono work and naturalization policy.
Margaret O’Herron is a former Senior Policy Advisor for Immigration at the Executive Office of the President of the United States. In this role, she was instrumental in developing and implementing President Biden’s domestic immigration agenda, particularly focusing on initiatives that support family unity, protect Dreamers, and streamline processes for noncitizens with U.S. degrees. Her focus was mobilizing support for innovative refugee resettlement programs and enhancing legal services for noncitizens.
In a prior role, Margaret served as Senior Counsel in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she managed the immigration portfolio and played a key role in implementing significant policies and legal reforms. Her work included drafting and overseeing important regulations that improved asylum processes and case management within the immigration system. With a strong commitment to social justice and equitable immigration policies, Margaret coordinated closely with various government agencies and stakeholders, ensuring a collaborative approach to immigration issues. Her extensive experience and legal expertise have positioned her as a leading voice in shaping a fair and effective immigration system in the United States.
Tricia Swartz is a Senior Advisor at HHS’s Administration for Children and Families, Tricia specializes in matters related to unaccompanied children and has held significant roles in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Tricia focuses on enhancing customer experience and promoting efficiency across multiple program offices. Her previous leadership roles include Associate Deputy Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where she was instrumental in advocating for the rights and well-being of unaccompanied minors. She represented HHS on the President’s Interagency Family Reunification Task Force and developed innovative solutions to improve services for vulnerable populations.
Tricia is also recognized for her expertise in Tribal Affairs, fostering engagement and cultural awareness within federal entities. Her work has earned her accolades from organizations such as the American Trial Lawyers Association and the American Immigration Council. With a proven track record of successful program management and external partnership development, Tricia remains committed to driving systemic improvements in human services delivery.
Emily Tulli specializes in labor and immigration policy. Currently advising national organizations and labor unions, she also holds a fellowship with the Open Society Foundation focused on immigrant worker support. Previously, she served as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Solicitor of Labor, where she played a key role in implementing deferred action for labor disputes.
As the Economic Justice Project Manager at the National Immigration Law Center, she led advocacy efforts and contributed to significant legislation. A recognized expert at the intersection of immigration and employment law, Emily is committed to championing the rights of low-wage and immigrant workers.
Jacob Hamburger is an Assistant Professor of Law at Marquette Law School. His research focuses on immigration federalism, exploring the role of state and local governments in the national system of immigration enforcement and regulation. He earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and previously worked as a staff immigration attorney at Legal Aid Chicago.