Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Karen Hernandez is a dedicated community advocate with extensive experience in social justice and policy reform. Currently serving as a Community Engagement and Policy Advocate plus Operations Manager at the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, Karen previously occupied roles such as Program Director at Charitable Ventures of OC and Co-Founder & Lead Organizer for the People's Budget OC Coalition, focusing on addressing inequities caused by the carceral system in Orange County. Karen’s background also includes internships with the ACLU SoCal and a series of talent acquisition positions at Danaher Corporation and Envista Holdings Corporation. Demonstrating a commitment to equity and community welfare, Karen has been instrumental in organizing efforts that prioritize housing, health care, and racial justice. Educational qualifications include a certificate from UCLA's Big Data for Justice Summer Institute and a degree from UCLA.
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Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
Advancing Human Rights for Marginalized Communities, with a focus on Undocumented Immigrants and Children, ⚖️ Since its incorporation in 1980, the Center has provided a wide range of legal services to vulnerable low-income victims of human and civil rights violations and technical support and training to hundreds of legal aid attorneys and paralegals in the areas of immigration law, constitutional law, and complex and class action litigation. The Center has achieved major victories in numerous class action cases in the courts of the United States and before international bodies that have benefited hundreds of thousands of immigrant children, asylum seekers, immigrant workers, and other vulnerable populations. A list of the Center’s successful major litigation cases: Plyler v. Doe (1982): Successfully challenged a Texas statute prohibiting over 200,000 undocumented children from attending public schools. Reno v. Catholic Social Services (1993): Granting 250,000 immigrants their right to apply for legalization under the 1986 amnesty law. Reno v. Flores, 507 U.S. 292 (1993): National class action on behalf of children denied release pending the outcome of deportation proceedings. League of United Latin American Citizens v. Wilson (1997): State-wide class action challenging constitutionality of California proposition 187 denying health care, social services and education to suspected undocumented immigrants. Perez-Olano v. Gonzalez (2008) Nationwide class action enjoining policies and practices blocking abused, abandoned, and neglected immigrant children’s access to protective services and lawful permanent residence. We Are Am. v. Maricopa County Bd. of Supervisors (2013): Class action enjoining arrest and prosecution of non-smuggler migrants for conspiracy to transport themselves.