Alma brings a wealth of experience in immigration law to the team, having worked as an Associate Attorney and Partner at Rios & Cruz, P.S. for six years, a partner at Global Justice Law Group for three years, and a partner at Immigrant Advocacy and Litigation Center for three years before joining Novo Legal Group. Alma is passionate about advocating for noncitizens in immigration detention. From 2015-2019, Alma served as one of the EOIR-appointed representatives for immigration detainees found mentally incompetent to represent themselves in removal proceedings at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. From 2018-2021, she served as the immigration appellate attorney for Prisoner Legal Services New York (PLS) with a focus on appeals for detained clients. She also provided litigation mentorship and training to the staff attorneys in PLS' immigration unit.
Throughout her career, Alma has volunteered her time as pro bono counsel for various NGOs, including Al Otro Lado, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP), Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice (VAIJ), Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). Before attending law school, Alma was actively involved in human rights advocacy. She is admitted to the California State Bar Association and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
As a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Alma has held numerous leadership positions. She has served on the Executive Committee and co-chaired the ICE Liaison committee of AILA's Washington chapter. Her expertise and dedication to the field have led her to be a sought-after presenter and speaker at various AILA events and conferences.
Alma's practice focused on a wide range of immigration law areas, including removal defense, asylum, U-visas, and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Administrative Appeals Office, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Her extensive knowledge and experience enable her to provide clients with the highest level of legal representation, ensuring they receive the support and guidance they need to navigate the complex immigration system.
Today, Alma leads the firm’s third-country deportation docket, representing men deported to Eswatini and beyond in litigation that has reached Eswatini’s Supreme Court and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
BIA · Ninth Circuit · Second Circuit
EOIR representation · Detention conditions · Bond
Past results don't predict future ones. Every case is its own facts. These are here so you have a sense of the work.
Lead voice on the Eswatini, Cameroon, and Congo third-country deportation flights; cited by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, AFP, the Associated Press, CBS, and Telemundo in ongoing challenges.
Filed the firm’s first complaint with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights challenging U.S. third-country removals to Eswatini (December 2025); the Commission agreed to hear the case in March 2026.
After nearly nine months of litigation, Eswatini’s Supreme Court ruled in April 2026 that the men deported there by the U.S. are entitled to meet with legal counsel.
Client Orville Etoria was repatriated to Jamaica in September 2025 — one of the first men freed from the Eswatini deportation docket.