Soros Justice Fellowships

Florida Immigrant Coalition

A grant to build the Deportee Defense Network of Miami and South Florida, an organization run by and for immigrants facing deportation. The project seeks to cultivate leadership among families affected by deportation to raise awareness about the link between criminal justice and immigration issues in South Florida.

Kateel is co-director of Families for Freedom, a multiethnic organization of support, education, and action for former detainees and families facing deportation. In this capacity, he has spearheaded local education efforts about deportation, produced self-help guides and popular education materials, taught to over 200 organizations in the New York metro area, and co-authored Deportation 101, a curriculum on deportation and criminal justice. He has testified before elected officials and the public on immigration issues, and has spoken at and organized local, regional, and national conferences. Kateel was previously a caseworker for formerly detained asylum seekers at Jesuit Refugee Services and American Friends Service Committee-Wayfarer House. He co-founded and coordinated the Detention Project for Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM). In 2002, Kateel was named an OSI New York Community Fellow. He has guest lectured at CUNY Law, NYU, John Jay, and Columbia. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and earned a master's in Science for Social Work from Columbia University.

Miami, FL |  1 Year |