Meet our team
Sierra Kraft, Executive Director
As the Executive Director, Sierra spearheads the strategic vision of the ICARE coalition, fostering meaningful collaboration among members, building strategic partnerships, and implementing innovative solutions to ensure no child faces the immigration system alone. Guided by her conviction that all immigrants deserve access to quality legal representation, Sierra draws inspiration from the transformative power of community, recognizing that our collective voices can reshape systems and society.
With 18 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Sierra is a seasoned professional dedicating her career to working alongside refugee and immigrant communities in both the U.S. and abroad. In her previous role as interim co-executive director at Freedom for Immigrants, she ardently advocated for the abolition of harmful immigration detention practices across the U.S. Her diverse experience includes serving as Operations Manager with Refugee Solidarity Network, Program Specialist overseeing resettlement offices with Church World Service, and launching her career in case management, working with refugee families at Lutheran Social Services. Sierra also held the position of Accreditation Manager with Social Current (formerly Council on Accreditation).
Sierra's professional focus lies in assisting nonprofits in implementing robust administrative practices while creating inclusive communities for immigrants and refugees. Her educational background includes an M.A. in Human Rights from Columbia University, an M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Notre Dame of Maryland University, and a B.A. in Philosophy & Nonprofit Leadership from the University of North Dakota. Originally from the Midwest, Sierra now calls Brooklyn home. When not playing with her dog in the park, she can often be found supporting local live music or comedy.
Contact: skraft@icarecoalition.org
Jessica Cardona, Program Manager
As Program Manager, Jessica is responsible for designing and implementing ICARE’s program portfolio. Her role is to streamline coordination efforts among ICARE members, ensuring the establishment of efficient and reliable processes to support unaccompanied immigrant children seeking legal services. She is also responsible for developing and maintaining impact and reporting metrics and supporting the management of key relationships with members and partner organizations.
With over eight years of experience in the non-profit sector focused on serving the immigrant community, Jessica began her career at Birch Family Services. There she supported the Head Start program and helped families obtain developmentally appropriate services for their children with Autism and other developmental delays. In 2019, Jessica joined The Door’s Detained Minors Project, initially as Paralegal and later as Lead Paralegal. In these roles, she supported attorneys in representing Unaccompanied Children, established case management processes, and built key relationships. Jessica has also volunteered at Make the Road NY and New York Cares, contributing to projects that aim to empower the immigrant community and uplift underserved New Yorkers.
Jessica graduated in May 2023 with a policy-focused Master of Public Administration from Baruch College. She also holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Rochester. By drawing from her experience in direct service and policy training, she is committed to advancing the rights of Unaccompanied Children, and advocating for universal representation for all immigrants in removal proceedings. Jessica resides in Queens (best borough in NYC, of course) with her partner and adorable 3-year-old black cat.
Contact: jcardona@icarecoalition.org
Shadia Nalugo, Program Associate Intern
Shadia brings a global perspective to her role as a Program Associate Intern at ICARE, drawing on her experiences in Africa, where she worked extensively with vulnerable populations. Her prior work focused on addressing critical issues such as gender-based violence, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the impacts of poverty. These experiences shaped her deep commitment to social justice and her understanding of the systemic barriers that perpetuate inequality.
Having lived in the U.S., Shadia recognizes similar challenges affecting immigrant populations, including exploitation, instability, and limited access to resources. At ICARE, she advocates for young immigrants by facilitating legal referrals, connecting them with essential services, and empowering them to navigate their cases effectively. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work at Columbia School of Social Work and integrates her academic training with her professional experiences to address the unique challenges faced by unaccompanied migrant children.
Besides her academic and professional pursuits, Shadia is passionate about community engagement and personal growth. She enjoys volunteering with local organizations that promote equity and inclusion, as well as participating in cultural events that celebrate diversity. In her free time, she loves exploring nature through walks, reading books on social justice and history, and connecting with friends over shared experiences and meaningful conversations.
Advisory Board
Alexandra Rizio, Managing Attorney, Policy & Partnerships, Safe Passage Project
A graduate of Fordham Law School and Columbia College, Alexandra Rizio has a long history of advocating for the rights of immigrants. Alex joined Safe Passage Project (SPP) as a staff attorney in 2015, and later supervised the organization's NYC team. Alex now serves as Managing Attorney for Policy and Partnerships at SPP, where she develops litigation and technical assistance tools for attorneys and leads the organization's pro bono department, working with over 500 volunteer lawyers throughout NYC and Long Island. Alex also led SPP’s representation of over 60 children forcibly separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border during the summer of 2018 and continues to lead the organization's ongoing litigation strategy in relation to the separation policy.
Before SPP, Alex was an Associate Immigration Attorney at the firm Masliah & Soloway (now the Masliah Firm), which focused on serving LGBTQ immigrants; prior to that, she coordinated a pro bono program at Start Small Think Big, an economic empowerment non-profit located in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. At Fordham Law, Alex was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest and Ethics, a Crowley Scholar in International Human Rights and a 2012 recipient of the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award. During law school, Alex served as the Ellenbogen Fellow at HerJustice (formerly inMotion), as a Revson Fellow in the Family Law and Domestic Violence Unit of South Brooklyn Legal Services, and as an asylum intern at HIAS. She was also a Leitner Fellow at MAP Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand; in that role, she researched labor violations and gender-based violence experienced by female Burmese migrant workers and analyzed Thailand’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Prior to law school, Alex worked for the UN’s International Labor Organisation in Bangkok and for the International Center for Transitional Justice in New York. Alex has volunteered for the Refugee and Immigrant Fund in Queens and as a soccer coach for a team of immigrant girls through South Bronx United.
Beth Krause, Supervising Attorney, Immigrant Youth Project, Legal Aid Society
Beth A. T. Krause has dedicated her career to advocating for children in New York City. She began her career with the Children’s Law Center and then continued as a solo practitioner representing children in custody, visitation, guardianship, abuse, neglect, paternity, and domestic violence matters in the Bronx County Family and Supreme Courts. Beth also has experience representing parents and other interested parties in the same types of proceedings.
In 2016, Beth joined the Legal Aid Society as Supervising Attorney of the Immigrant Youth Project at the Legal Aid Society. The Immigrant Youth Project annually represents hundreds of children and young people in Immigration Court, before US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and in New York Family Courts in the five boroughs of New York City and surrounding counties. Beth also acts as counsel on affirmative litigation impacting Immigrant Youth Project clients, including a successful class action on behalf of New York youth challenging the Trump administration’s denial of Special Immigrant Juvenile Status for 18–21-year-old youth, and a class action on behalf of immigrant children separated from their parents at the southern border and placed in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement in New York State under the “zero-tolerance” policy.
Julie Silvia, Managing Attorney, NYC Legal Programs, Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York
Julie Silvia is the Managing Attorney for NYC Legal Programs at Catholic Charities (CCCS), where she oversees the supervision and operation of three city-funded legal services contracts for affirmative and removal defense cases. She also oversees a community-based clinical model providing brief legal services and full representation via NYC community schools. From 2020 to 2022, Julie served as a pro bono supervising attorney at CCCS, mentoring pro bono attorneys to enhance citywide pro bono representation for immigrant youth and adults with children in removal proceedings. Between 2017 and 2020, Julie was part of the ActionNYC in Schools team, a collaboration with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and local non-profits. In this role, she implemented programming to offer weekly, on-site legal support and representation to immigrant students and their families citywide, covering the largest school district in the country.
Prior to CCCS, Julie represented immigrant farm workers seeking immigration benefits, including victims of serious crimes and domestic violence as a Staff Attorney at a small nonprofit in California’s Central Valley. She also worked in private immigration practice from 2015-2016, representing detained and non-detained immigrants before the New York City and Elizabeth Immigration Courts, as well as the Board of Immigration Appeals, and managing a large federal circuit court docket.
Julie graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2010 and later attended CUNY School of Law, graduating in 2014. During her time as a law student, she worked in the Immigrant and Noncitizen Rights Clinic and interned with Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) in Washington D.C., and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services in New York City. After law school, Julie attended Middlebury College’s Spanish summer immersion program and volunteered with various immigration legal services nonprofits in New York City, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
Julie, who grew up on an island, has a passion for the ocean, the beach, volcanoes, and spending time outdoors. She’s fascinated with whales and recommends trying one of the local NYC whale-watching tours. She currently resides in Brooklyn with her partner and their very weird but lovable dogs, Jake and Gus.
Sarah Nolan, Managing Director, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
Sarah Nolan is the Managing Director of KIND’s New York office. Sarah has dedicated her career to building and sustaining innovative immigration legal services programs. Prior to joining KIND, Sarah was the Legal Director at the New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children (NJCIC) where she founded a new legal services program serving youth across New Jersey and co-led a network of nonprofits dedicated to advancing the rights of immigrant youth. Previously, Sarah was a supervising attorney at LegalHealth, a division of NYLAG, where she managed a specialized team providing on-site immigration legal services at NYC public hospitals. Sarah has also served as consultant to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs on the implementation of a large-scale immigration legal services program. She began her specialization in immigration at Brooklyn Defender Services representing youth and established a new program to connect youth with law firms for pro bono legal assistance. Sarah has previously worked as an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP and served as law clerk to the Honorable Holly B. Fitzsimmons, United States Magistrate Judge in the District of Connecticut. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Stephanie Lopez, Co-Director Legal Services Center, The Door
Stephanie F. Lopez is a Co-Director of The Door Legal Services Center. Stephanie graduated Fordham Law School in 2011. After graduating law school, Stephanie worked at The Bronx Defenders as a civil attorney representing clients in housing court, public benefits hearings and conducting plea consults for employment and licensing purposes. After almost three years of doing civil non-immigration work, Stephanie became an immigration staff attorney, representing detained and non-detained clients in removal and affirmative matters as well as providing plea consult consults. In 2015, she went on to work at Neighborhood Defender Services of Harlem, where she represented clients in removal proceedings who had contacts with the criminal legal system. She also represented clients in their naturalization interviews before USCIS and counseled clients on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. She became a supervising attorney at NDS-Harlem in 2016. In 2019, Stephanie joined The Door as a Managing Attorney of the removal team. Stephanie was born and raised in The Bronx and speaks Spanish fluently.