Esther Olavarria
Encyclopedia
Esther Olavarria is currently Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy. Born in Cuba
she came to the United States
at age 5 with her four siblings and her parents. She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida
in 1983 and received her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1986. Ms. Olavarria was featured in several films in the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.
, co-founder and managing attorney of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, and on staff with Legal Services of Greater Miami
as directing attorney with the American Immigration Lawyer Pro Bono Project. From 1998-2007 she was counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy
and the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees and from 2007-8 Senior Advisor for Government and External Relations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
. From August 2008 until her appointment to the Department of Homeland Security
in February 2009 she was Senior Fellow and Director of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress
.
“Observers on both sides of the aisle credit her with essentially drafting the 2007 immigration reform bill sponsored by Kennedy and Sen. John McCain
of Arizona.”
Mark Krikorian
of the Center for Immigration Studies
(which favors restricting immigration) confirms this, “She wrote the bill. She was Kennedy’s main immigration person. She was really driving that bus.”
“The fact that they chose her signals to me that the Obama administration is very serious about looking at the immigration system, and then finally coming up with a viable solution for redress," said Marleine Bastien, executive director of Haitian Women of Miami.
Krikorian also claims that “Olavarria's appointment can be seen as a sign Obama will work toward some sort of amnesty for undocumented migrants -- often viewed as the third rail of immigration policy. ‘He clearly has to give the pro-amnesty side something,’ Krikorian said.”
and Michael Camerini
. A version of the film premiered on HBO in March 2010, under the title The Senator's Bargain.
Other films she appears in through the series include:
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
she came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at age 5 with her four siblings and her parents. She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1983 and received her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1986. Ms. Olavarria was featured in several films in the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.
Career
Ms. Olavarria has spent years representing immigrants and working on the issue of immigration. Between 1986 and 1998 she was a staff attorney for the Haitian Refugee CenterGérard Jean-Juste
Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste was a Roman Catholic priest and rector of Saint Claire's church for the poor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He was also a liberation theologian and a supporter of the Fanmi Lavalas political party, the largest in Haiti. In 1978, Father Jean-Juste founded the Haitian Refugee Center...
, co-founder and managing attorney of the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, and on staff with Legal Services of Greater Miami
Legal Services Corporation
The Legal Services Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation established by the United States Congress. It seeks to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it...
as directing attorney with the American Immigration Lawyer Pro Bono Project. From 1998-2007 she was counsel to Sen. Edward Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
and the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Refugees and from 2007-8 Senior Advisor for Government and External Relations to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
. From August 2008 until her appointment to the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
in February 2009 she was Senior Fellow and Director of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
.
Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center
According to its website FIAC was founded in 1996 as a response to budget cuts that no longer allowed government agencies to service illegal immigrants. It is “a not-for-profit legal assistance organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the basic human rights of immigrants of all nationalities at the local, state and national levels.” According to her biography on the Center for American Progress website she was a co founder of this organization. Her co-founder, Cheryl Little thinks that Olavarria will “fight tooth and nail” for immigrants. She “knows her way around immigration laws... and… is aware of the challenges that immigrants face on a daily basis.”Immigration
Interested parties on both sides of the immigration debate think that her appointment gives insight into what to expect from the Obama administration on this issue.“Observers on both sides of the aisle credit her with essentially drafting the 2007 immigration reform bill sponsored by Kennedy and Sen. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
of Arizona.”
Mark Krikorian
Mark Krikorian
Mark Krikorian is an Armenian-American anti-immigration activist. He is the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. that promotes stricter immigration control and enforcement...
of the Center for Immigration Studies
Center for Immigration Studies
The Center for Immigration Studies is a non-profit research organization that advocates Immigration reduction in the United States. Founded in 1985, its executive director is Mark Krikorian. As a 501 organization, it is subject to limits or absolute prohibitions on engaging in political...
(which favors restricting immigration) confirms this, “She wrote the bill. She was Kennedy’s main immigration person. She was really driving that bus.”
“The fact that they chose her signals to me that the Obama administration is very serious about looking at the immigration system, and then finally coming up with a viable solution for redress," said Marleine Bastien, executive director of Haitian Women of Miami.
Krikorian also claims that “Olavarria's appointment can be seen as a sign Obama will work toward some sort of amnesty for undocumented migrants -- often viewed as the third rail of immigration policy. ‘He clearly has to give the pro-amnesty side something,’ Krikorian said.”
Film
She was featured in the documentary film Last Best Chance, Story Twelve of the series How Democracy Works Now, from filmmakers Shari RobertsonShari Robertson
Shari Robertson is an American Film Director and producer. Her filmmaking credits include Twelve Stories: How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Inside the Khmer Rouge, Return to Year Zero and Washington/Peru: We Ain't Winnin'. Her films have been featured on HBO, CNN,...
and Michael Camerini
Michael Camerini
Michael Camerini is a film director, producer and cinematographer. His filmmaking credits include Twelve Stories: How Democracy Works Now, Well-Founded Fear, These Girls Are Missing, Becoming the Buddha in L.A., Dadi's Family and Born Again: Life in a Fundamentalist Baptist Church...
. A version of the film premiered on HBO in March 2010, under the title The Senator's Bargain.
Other films she appears in through the series include:
- Story 5: The Kids Across the Hill
- Story 7: Ain't the AFL for Nothin'
- Story 8: The Road to Miami
- Story 11: The Senate Speaks