Veena Iyer, the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota’s new executive director, says three keys to understanding her are that she is a daughter of immigrants, a “really big nerd,” and full of energy and enthusiasm.

Her father immigrated from India to Minnesota in 1969. A few years later, he returned to India to marry her mother, and petitioned for her to join him in Minnesota. He was appalled that the process took so long—three months! Today, that seems like speedy processing. Veena’s husband is also a first-generation immigrant, and they met working at a community center for South Asian immigrants in Chicago. Immigration is at the center of Veena’s family story.

Veena credits her status as “a really big nerd” in part to her past as a high school debater. She says she is still really curious about everything, and loves to read widely,  ask questions, and listen and learn from others. She loves to delve deeply into issues and to mentor individuals who are new to a particular issue, whether they be middle school debaters, newer lawyers, or her own two daughters. When on vacation, she and her husband visit libraries, possibly another nerd credit.

Her enthusiasm and energy show in her past work, including pro bono work as one of ILCM’s team of volunteer attorneys. She has also volunteered at Tubman and Standpoint, in addition to serving as as a shareholder and Diversity & Inclusion Chair at the Nilan Johnson Lewis law firm.

“I am really excited about the work of ILCM,” she says. “We live in a distressing time for immigrant and refugee communities in this country and in this community. We as a country can do better. ILCM is part of doing better every day. I am thankful for this amazing staff, and really grateful for the work of John and Lenore in building and directing ILCM.”

Veena graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in history, with honors, and earned her J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School. She speaks conversational Spanish and Tamil and basic Russian. She began her career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and Staff Attorney at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, where she represented clients, created and managed a legal clinic for low-income immigrant students and conducted English and Spanish presentations for community members and service providers.

In Minnesota, she has served as president of the Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar Association and remains a member of its Advisory Board and Judicial Committee, as well as holding board positions at Minnesota Women Lawyers and Portico HealthNet. She has received many honors, including Minnesota Lawyer’s Diversity & Inclusion Award in 2018, and being named to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list in 2019. She is licensed to practice law in Minnesota and Illinois.

As we welcome Veena to ILCM, we look forward to opportunities for her to meet ILCM’s friends and allies in the months ahead.

 

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota condemns the publication of the public charge rule by the Department of Homeland Security this week. If an injunction does not stop this rule, it will take effect on October 15, 2019, and further strengthen Trump’s war on working class and non-white immigrants.

Even before the rule takes effect, we have seen its chilling effect, with people removing themselves and their children from public benefits for fear of hurting their immigration prospects. Nationally, one in seven adults in immigrant families reported forgoing public benefits in 2018 because of fear of the public charge rule. Among low-income families, this chilling effect was even stronger, affecting one adult in five.

This regulation aims to reduce the number of legal immigrants admitted into the United States and allowed to adjust to legal permanent residency each year. Its long, complex text causes fear and confusion felt not only by families, but by all of our communities.

“The public charge rule is one more example of the heartless and hateful anti-immigrant policies promulgated by this administration,” said Lenore Millibergity, acting executive director of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. “Immigrants are not a burden on our public benefits. They are less likely to use public benefit programs, using 39 percent fewer welfare and entitlements benefits per person than native-born Americans.

“The way to strengthen our country is to strengthen the families who live here. Today, one child in four has at least one immigrant parent. The administration’s bullying tactics, its use of fear and intimidation as a substitute for actual policy, do harm to these children and families and to the entire country.”

The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota stands with immigrant communities and will fight this rule.

We encourage our clients to consult with their attorney before withdrawing from benefits programs, and remind them that nothing has changed yet. ILCM will hold informational presentations on the rule beginning in a few weeks. You can request a presentation here. Stay tuned for more information.