Raquel Fonte has dedicated her legal career to advancing the rights and protections of immigrants. A native New Orleanian of Cuban-American descent, she began practicing immigration law in 1996, coinciding with the enactment of major immigration reforms. She holds a J.D. with a Certificate in Law and Public Policy from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America and a B.A. in Political Science and Latin American Studies from American University in Washington, D.C. In Los Angeles, she practiced in several settings including the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, as well as the Gould School of Law, University of Southern California as a Visiting Professor in the Immigration Law Clinic.
After returning home to New Orleans in 2020, she joined Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Immigration and Refugee Services team as a Senior Staff Attorney, representing unaccompanied children in special immigrant juvenile and asylum cases. Today, Raquel lives in New Orleans with her two sons, where she enjoys yoga & cycling the Lafitte Greenway, never misses Jazz Fest, and loves to host the occasional wine tasting.