Vanessa Meraz was a research assistant for CLASP’s Immigration and Immigrant Families team who provided research support on cross-sector policy issues like interior immigration enforcement, DACA, and immigrant access to public benefits.

Prior to joining CLASP, Vanessa interned at the Oklahoma State Senate as well as the Niskanen Center. She graduated cum laude from the University of Oklahoma (OU) with a B.A. in Political sScience and a B.A. in Letters-Constitutional Studies. During her undergraduate career, Vanessa served as president of the Hispanic American Student Association and founder of Voto Latino, the university’s first Latinx civic engagement organization. Vanessa is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, a Dreamer, and a first-generation college graduate.