Lauren Michel Wilfong

As a Justice Catalyst fellow at Justice Action Center, Lauren (they/them) works with detained people and community organizations to challenge the constitutionality of immigration detention through strategic litigation and by fostering a rapid response habeas network, connecting detained people with pro bono counsel, and developing resources to support habeas practitioners.Lauren received their J.D. cum laude from NYU Law in 2021, where they were a Roger Baldwin Fellow in Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Lauren pursued their passion for movement lawyering with a focus on challenging state violence against noncitizens as a member of the Immigrant Rights Clinic and Advanced Immigrant Rights Clinic at NYU, and through internships at Center for Constitutional Rights, Immigrant Defense Project, Brooklyn Defender Services, Al Otro Lado, and AFSC Immigrant Rights Program. Prior to law school, Lauren worked at New Economy Project in New York City, where they supported community-based organizations fighting for cooperative, community-led, and equitable development. Lauren received their B.A. summa cum laude from NYU Gallatin in 2014, with a concentration in political culture, education, and organization. They live in Northern New Jersey with their partner and two cats.

Fellowship type: Justice Catalyst

Organization: Justice Action Center

Project name: Harnessing Habeas: Growing the Power of Detained People to Challenge Their Detention in Federal Court