Lesly Tejada is the Program Assistant for the Mexico and Migration & Border Security programs at WOLA. She conducts research for advocacy efforts, coordinates congressional outreach, and provides support.
Before joining WOLA, Lesly worked as a legal assistant at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, CA. She provided assistance with legal immigration services to survivors of violent crimes and domestic violence. During her time at CARECEN, Lesly also volunteered at the US-Mexico border during the 2018 Central American exodus. .Alongside a supervising attorney, she assisted in preparing asylum seekers for their credible fear interviews.
Lesly earned her Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University with a certificate in Refugee and Humanitarian Emergencies. While at Georgetown, she worked with the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) as a graduate intern, studying and synthesizing the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on Latin America and the Caribbean. Her Master’s capstone project utilized primary and secondary research to produce an overview of internal displacement in Mexico in the past 30 years and develop recommendations for the protection of internally displaced persons and their rights.