Melissa joined EBCLC in 2019. Prior to EBCLC, Melissa worked at an immigration law firm, where she represented clients in a variety of immigration matters, including adjustment of status, consular processing, naturalization, and inadmissibility/deportability waivers.

Melissa has worked with clients seeking deferred action and humanitarian forms of immigration relief, including asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visa, T visa, and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions. She has represented clients in immigration court, as well as on appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Melissa has previously worked at non-profit organizations, where she served immigrant survivors of domestic violence, victims of crime and human trafficking, families seeking reunification, and other in need of immigration relief. She has worked and volunteered with immigrant rights advocacy groups for over 10 years.

Melissa is the daughter of Thai immigrants and was raised in California’s Central Valley.