Meet the Team

Lucia has been the Director of the New Americans Campaign (NAC) since 2021. Previously, she served as Director of Immigration and Social Services at Canal Alliance, managing the immigration legal program and social services department. Originally from Venezuela, Lucia attended law school and was part of the Venezuelan Foreign Service before relocating to Madrid in 2005, where she worked on human rights and immigration policy issues for an international organization. In 2007, she moved to San Francisco, where she began her professional journey in the non-profit sector. Lucia is a member of the California Bar and holds a Master of Laws Degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, as well as a Master's degree in International Law and Relations from the University Complutense of Madrid. Additionally, Lucia volunteers as a Trustee with the San Rafael City Schools Board of Education in San Rafael, CA.

Ben joined the ILRC in 2023 as the Associate Director of the New Americans Campaign (NAC). Previously, Ben worked with Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) as the NAC Project Coordinator. He facilitated CLINIC’s work under the NAC and collaborated with over 30 NAC partners to increase naturalization capacity building, identify best practices, and improve naturalization service delivery models. He has also worked with multiple non-profit organizations in the D.C. metro area to provide N-400 application assistance, organize naturalization workshops, and teach and coordinate ESL and citizenship preparation classes. Ben is passionate about citizenship services and the power of naturalization to empower individuals and strengthen and unite families.

Amber joined the staff of the ILRC in July 2018 as an Administrative Coordinator and transitioned to the role of Best Practices Manager for the New Americans Campaign (NAC) in June 2022. She works to support the network of NAC partner organizations and promote best practices in naturalization services. Prior to joining the ILRC, Amber worked at a range of nonprofit organizations, including the Houston Interfaith Worker Justice Center, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and the Oakland Catholic Worker. She has a BA in Media Studies from the University of San Francisco and an MA in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Eric Cohen has been with the ILRC since 1988, and has been its Executive Director since 2007. He has extensive experience training attorneys, paralegals, community advocates, and organizers on a variety of immigration law, immigrants’ rights, and leadership development topics. Eric is a national expert on naturalization and citizenship law and is the primary author of the ILRC’s manual entitled Naturalization and U.S. Citizenship: The Essential Legal Guide. Eric helped develop ILRC's community model for naturalization workshops. Additionally, Eric has worked on voter outreach and education programs for naturalized citizens. He is actively involved in the work of the New Americans Campaign. Prior to working at the ILRC, Eric worked with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Labor Immigrant Assistance Project where he worked on legalization and union organizing campaigns. Eric obtained a B.A. degree in History from Colorado College and a J.D. degree from Stanford Law School. He is conversant in Spanish and is a member of the State Bar of California.