Two Undocumented American Law Students Who Argued Before the Ninth Circuit

On the fifth anniversary of DACA, Think Progress investigative reporter Yvette Cabrera (Twitter: @YCabreraOC) has profiled the journeys of two recent law school graduates of Western State College of Law, Alfonso Maldonado Silva and Cristel Martinez Medina. Both overcame considerable obstacles to getting to law school, including their undocumented status and trials with the immigration system, but sought to become advocates for other noncitizens affected by the immigration laws.  During their third year, they were partners in the Western State Immigration Clinic’s Ninth Circuit Project, through which they represented a noncitizen before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Both just sat for the July 2017 California Bar.

-JKoh