Vera Institute of Justice

Annie Chen directs Vera’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative, whose goal is to establish a federal right to representation for all immigrants facing deportation. Annie has worked nationally to advance universal representation for immigrants since joining Vera in 2013, including through building the Safety and Fairness for Everyone (SAFE) Network—a unique collaboration amongst local governments, immigration legal service providers, and advocates working together to build a movement for universal representation—since 2017.

Previously, Annie was in private practice, where she dedicated herself to the pro bono representation of immigrants. She also worked at the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Law Unit, where she represented immigrants in detention facing deportation. She holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD from Fordham Law School. Before law school, Annie worked at the Brennan Center for Justice. Annie is a Coro Immigrant Civic Leadership Program alum and lives in Brooklyn with her family.