Mirella Ceja-Orozco is a fierce and dedicated advocate of immigrants’ rights. Since finishing law school in 2012, she has dedicated her entire legal career to helping people navigate the complex world of immigration law. She has won awards for her dedication to practicing law in the public interest; teaches and mentors law students; and frequently speaks and writes about immigration law and immigrants’ rights. Habla español y inglés con fluidez.
As an experienced immigration lawyer—and a daughter of a family with mixed immigration statuses—Mirella understands how much is at stake for people with immigration law needs. Our clients come to us at moments of great hope and great fear, when they’re trying to protect everything they’ve built in their new homes or set down further roots. Knowing that, Mirella is dedicated to ensuring that they understand their cases and their options, even when that means taking extra time to explain each step of the case. She aims to make sure not only that clients get the best possible outcome—whatever that might mean in their circumstances—but also that she leaves each one in the best possible position for avoiding future immigration law problems.
Raised in Northern California, Mirella came to the Twin Cities for law school and set down her own roots here. In addition to her law degree, she also has degrees in political science and Native American studies, as well as a paralegal certificate. Prior to joining the Ojala-Barbour Law Firm, she was a staff attorney at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota and also worked in private practice. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School’s Federal Immigration Litigation Clinic, where she helps students protect and expand immigrants’ rights through lawsuits.
Education
- Hamline University School of Law, J.D., 2012
- Law school study abroad in Florence, Italy with US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts
- 2011, Volunteer of the Year award, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
- 2011, Minnesota Justice Foundation Law Student of the Year award
- University of California at Berkeley, paralegal certificate, 2009
- University of California at Davis, B.A.s in political science and Native American studies, 2008
- Undergraduate study abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico
- Undergraduate study abroad in Accra, Ghana
Bar Admissions
- Minnesota
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- Supreme Court of the United States (pending)
Professional Activities
- University of Minnesota School of Law Center for New Americans, federal immigration litigation clinic, adjunct professor
- Human Rights Volunteer Award, 2019
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, National
- VAWA/T/U committee
- Law Student Outreach committee
- Arthur C. Helton Memorial Human Rights Award, 2019
- Pro Bono Champion Attorney of the Year Award, 2018
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, Minnesota/Dakotas chapter
- Treasurer
- Raids Response committee, leader
- DACA Working Group, leader
- New Members Division, chair
- Pro Bono Champion Attorney of the Year Award, 2018
- Minnesota State Bar Association
- Immigration Law Section, Chair
- Immigration Law Section, Secretary
- NorthStar Lawyer, 2015-2019
- Thomas School of Law Mentorship program, law student mentor
- Minnesota Justice Foundation, StreetLaw Immigration Instructor
Community Involvement
- Minnesota Freedom Fund, board member
- University of California at Davis Seminar Abroad program, guest lecturer and on-site coordinator, Oaxacalifornia—Multiethnicity and Migration program, 2019
- Minnesota Youth Soccer Association, Hearings Committee, member
- UCare Minnesota Health, former board member
- Joyce Immersion School, former board member
Publications
- Minnesota CLE Immigration Deskbook, 2020 & 2018 edition, co-author of chapter on Minnesota immigration court
- “Trump's asylum ban is his worst betrayal of American values,” September 2019, Minnesota Star-Tribune
- “Profiles in Practice- Obi Chukwu & Paschal Nwokocha,” November/December 2016, Hennepin Lawyer Magazine
- “Shining a Light on Domestic Violence to Assist Immigrant Victims,” October 2015, ThinkImmigration Blog (with Robin Dalton and Teresa Messer)
- “Protecting the Survivors,” October 2015, ThinkImmigration Blog (with Cecelia Friedman Levin and M. Audrey Carr)
Press Appearances
- Mitchell Hamline magazine, to be released in 2020
- Visionaries PBS documentary, to be released in 2020
- 2020 Census, MN We Count videos: Census 101: Get Your Civics On; Census 102: Confidentiality in Our Bones; How Confidential Is the Census?; Census Day is April 1, 2020
- “Mirella Ceja-Orozco on what coaches with immigrant players should know,” January 2020, Soccer America Magazine
- “Merging Amid Immigration Tensions,” August 2019, Minnesota Lawyer
- “Somalis say they were shackled and beaten on aborted ICE deportation flight,” December 2017, VICE News
- “ICE Kept 92 Immigrants Shackled on a Plane For Two Days in 'Slave Ship’ Conditions, Advocates Say,” December 2017, Newsweek
- “For Minnesota Somalis, a raw, rising fear of deportation,” December 2017, MPR News
Speaking Engagements
- University of Minnesota School of Law, “Advocating for Communities of Color,” Minneapolis, MN
- American Immigration Lawyers National Convention, “VAWA/U Visa Mini-Track: Part II—Updates from VSC and the Field,” Orlando, FL
- Minnesota State Bar Association, “Asylum Seekers at the Border - Views from the Front Line, “ St. Paul, MN
- Minnesota State Bar Association, MSP Port-of-Entry Tour for Students, Fort Snelling, MN
- American Immigration Lawyers Midwest Conference, “Fundamentals on Immigration Court,” Minneapolis, MN
- League of Women Voters, “Understanding the 2020 Census and Proposed Citizenship Questions, White Bear Lake, MN
- Minnesota State Bar Association, “5th Annual Immigrant Attorneys Among Us – Successes and Challenges of Our Colleagues Who Were Born Outside of the U.S.,” Minneapolis, MN
- United Soccer Coaches National Convention, “Dreamers: A Coaches’ Guide to Supporting DACA Players,” Chicago, IL
- Dakota County Judges Association, “Immigration 101 Training,” Apple Valley, MN
- Minnesota State Bar Association, Hot Topic Issues, Minneapolis, MN
- Volunteer Lawyers Network, “Addressing Issues of Fraud in the Current World of Immigration,” Minneapolis, MN
- University of Minnesota School of Law, Somali 92 Updates from Miami, Minneapolis, MN
- Mitchell-Hamline School of Law Alumni Relations CLE, “Surviving the DREAM: Understanding DACA and the Proposed Changes,” St. Paul, MN
- Mankato State University, “Life Deferred” panel, Mankato, MN
- Minnesota State Bar Association, “Practical Advice on Hot Topics in U.S. Immigration Law - 6 Months into the Trump Administration.” Minneapolis, MN
- American Immigration Lawyers National Convention, Law Student Welcome panel, New Orleans, LA
- University of Wisconsin River-Falls, US Immigration Law and Know Your Rights presentation, River Falls, WI
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, National Day of Action presentation, Washington, D.C.
- Metro State University, “Ask an Immigration Attorney,” St. Paul, MN
- American Immigration Lawyers Association, “WHAT IS NEW WITH U VISA PROCESSING? RECAP OF VERMONT SERVICE CENTER TOUR AND MEETING,” Bloomington, MN
- American Immigration Lawyers Association National Convention, Law Student Welcome panel, Las Vegas, NV
- American Immigration Lawyers Midwest Conference, “U-Visa Updates from the Vermont Service Center,” Brooklyn Center, MN
