Biography
Marisa Díaz joined NELP in 2022 as Immigrant Worker Justice Program Director. In this role, Marisa partners with advocates across the country to build worker power and secure meaningful policy and legal advancements that center workers and racial equity to create workplaces where all workers, regardless of immigration status, can work in dignity and thrive. Marisa also contributes to the Work Quality team’s efforts to raise the floor for all workers through advocating for policies such as increasing the minimum wage, ending forced arbitration, and strengthening anti-retaliation protections so workers can enforce their rights when they are violated.
Prior to joining NELP, Marisa worked for almost seven years as a Senior Staff Attorney in the National Origin and Immigrants’ Rights Program at Legal Aid at Work, a California-based organization that advocates for the rights of underpaid workers. There, Marisa engaged in impact litigation, amicus work, direct services, policy advocacy, and community education to defend and expand the rights of immigrant workers, especially undocumented immigrant workers, and workers who experienced discrimination based on their national origin. Prior to her role at Legal Aid at Work, Marisa worked as an attorney fellow at Equal Rights Advocates in San Francisco, California, and as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Michael Daly Hawkins of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Education
J.D., Stanford Law School
B.A., Pomona College
Pronouns
she/her
Quoted In
- Prism: Tina Vásquez, “New labor protections for migrant workers a ‘movement win‘”, Prism, Jan. 25, 2023.
- Law360: Rae Ann Varona, “DHS Urged To Give Guidance For Immigrant Labor Disputes”, Law360, Sept. 30, 2022.
- The Fresno Bee: “Fresno Bee Covers LAAW’s efforts to End Courthouse Immigration Arrests”, The Fresno Bee, Aug. 2, 2018.
- Radio Bilingue, Immigration Edition, February 6, 2018.