who we are
Beck
Community Engagement Coordinator
Beck received a Master of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago in 2023, where they studied the relationship between immigration, diaspora, and restorative justice in partnership with communities in Chicago and São Paulo. They have extensive experience with community organizing and project management at nonprofits and grassroots organizations. Before attending graduate school, Beck worked at the National Immigrant Justice Center as the Pro Bono Coordinator of the LGBT Immigrant Rights Initiative, and as a paralegal under a grant from the Illinois Attorney General. Their caseload was focused on providing immigration relief to survivors of human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence. As a caseworker, Beck provided support to clients’ legal cases, as well as connecting them with medical, mental health, and community resources.
Since June of 2023, they have served on the board of Tzedek Chicago, a social justice-oriented synagogue. They are also part of the coordinating committee for Jewish Fast for Gaza, a group which organizes events related to food insecurity in war zones in the Middle East. Overall, Beck’s work is motivated by a deep ethical commitment to furthering social equity.
Community Engagement Coordinator
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Michelle
Hotline & Advocacy Coordinator
Michelle’s work in immigrant justice began in 2016 through community organizing and legal advocacy, supporting immigrant communities navigating complex legal systems. At the National Immigrant Justice Center, they worked on asylum, trafficking, and gender-based violence cases while coordinating the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative. Her work later expanded into farmworker advocacy, youth programming, violence prevention, and pretrial justice, always grounded in community-centered support and systems change.
Through these roles, Michelle built extensive experience in program implementation, monitoring, and direct service coordination. Most recently, they worked at the Chicago Department of Public Health, supporting victim services and mental health initiatives across Chicago. Michelle currently serves on the board of the Midwest Immigration Bond Fund, where she supports bond posting efforts for people in immigration detention across the Midwest. Across all of her work, Michelle remains committed to building stronger systems of care, justice, and community support.
Hotline & Advocacy Coordinator
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Mimi
Creative Programs Coordinator
Mimi first connected with MSC in 2022 as a volunteer designer for Books for Migrants while working as an intake specialist at Legal Aid Chicago. With over a decade of nonprofit experience spanning direct service, community work, and creative programming, she leads MSC's Art as Advocacy program and collaborates with volunteers on broader design, marketing, communications, social media, and event planning.
Outside of MSC, she runs an independent design studio serving nonprofits and purpose-driven small businesses, and volunteers with Art From the Inside, a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting incarcerated artists.
Creative Programs Coordinator
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Raquel
Advisory Committee Member
Raquel is a proud Puerto Rican who has received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) as well as a Master of Science from UPR's School of Public Health. While completing her Master's she also led public health programs in HIV prevention, designing and implementing surveys and focus groups to assess needs, health risks, and barriers to access to services, expanding the program's network of partnerships, and leading meetings with community based organizations, funding agencies, and additional stakeholders.
While she was completing her Master's degree Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico. She remained there until she could complete her degree and then moved from her beloved archipielago to Chicago upon receiving a job offer in project management. A few years and one pandemic later she pivoted to working in nonprofits focusing on migrant issues to return to working closer with communities she loves.
She is currently working with the City of Chicago to help support the strategic planning, policy development, and implementation of a major public service program and serves as the liaison between city departments, the public, and different community based coalitions in efforts to enhance and promote social and public service programs.
Advisory Committee Member
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Lee
Advisory Committee Member
Lee Vanderlinden is an Associate Attorney at Ehsan Legal Group. Lee previously served at the National Immigrant Justice Center’s LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative.Lee is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Princeton University. They are admitted to practice law in Illinois and focus exclusively on federal immigration law, representing clients across the United States in a wide range of matters—including asylum, family-based immigration, and humanitarian relief. They live in Chicago with their partner, toddler, and dog.
Advisory Committee Member
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Gerald
Advisory Committee Member
Gerald serves as Staff Counsel on Impact for Equity’s Criminal Legal Systems team. Prior to joining Impact for Equity, Gerald was the Co-Executive Director and, previously to that, Director of Programs at the Chicago Community Bond Fund (CCBF). At CCBF he managed the Revolving Fund team, charged with paying bond and providing post-release support for people incarcerated pre-trial, while advocating for the elimination of cash bail and pretrial detention. He also held roles as Medical Legal Partnership Coordinator for Uptown People’s Law Center with Heartland Alliance Health. He provided direct representation of tenants and people with disabilities. His commitment to criminal systems change was fostered at First Defense Legal Aid where he represented individuals in Chicago Police custody and facilitated Know Your Rights workshops on 4th, 5th, and 6th amendment rights.
In concert with his criminal legal systems work, he has had professional experience with the immigration legal system both with legal aids and small law firms. He is also a member of the Advisory Council to the Office of New Americans, and has been in that role since 2019. Gerald is excited to continue his advocacy on behalf of immigrants and other marginalized peoples caught in the crosshairs of state violence and systemic inequality.
Advisory Committee Member
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Sherrie
Advisory Committee Member
Sherrie Anne Hart (they/them), a Co-Director of Movement Building at Emergent Fund, is a queer, nonbinary Puerto Rican/Thai organizer/trainer/researcher. With over a decade of experience, Sherrie’s work spans mutual aid and farming projects, facilitation, training programs and curriculum development, tactical media, and direct action campaigns targeting fracked gas infrastructure projects, pol(ICE) and prisons. They have worked alongside communities directly impacted by climate change and harmful systems, centering relationship building and frontline leadership.
These days, they continue to grow as an organizer, develop curriculum, and train for The Ruckus Society. In every space they move, they are passionate about cultural and spiritual integration and healing practices as forms of direct action. Their dedication to supporting Black, Brown, QT&2Spirit relatives, and living disability justice is grounded in their own identities and role as a parent and caretaker.
Advisory Committee Member
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Aneesha
Advisory Committee Member
Aneesha Gandhi is a managing attorney at Immigrant Legal Defense (ILD) where she provides consultation and direct representation through ILD’s Legal-Education Partnerships with the California State University (CSU) and California Community College (CCC) systems, unique programs that provide immigration legal services to students and community members at dozens of public higher education campuses throughout the state.
Prior to joining ILD, Aneesha was part of the senior leadership team at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), where she led both the LGBTQ Immigrant Rights Initiative and the Asylum Project. She oversaw a team of 30 staff managing a docket of over 1,500 complex immigration cases, including removal defense and administrative matters. At NIJC, Aneesha trained hundreds of pro bono attorneys to represent asylum seekers before USCIS and EOIR, mentored staff, and provided direct representation in a wide range of cases, including asylum, CAT, waivers, U visas, VAWA, T visas, and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals. She also engaged in community outreach, built partnerships with local organizations, and delivered legal presentations to community and professional audiences.
Prior to NIJC, Aneesha was a legal fellow at the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Immigration Assistance Program. During law school, she interned for NIJC, the New Orleans Workers’ Center for Racial Justice, the Greater Boston Legal Services’ Immigration Unit, and the Vera Institute. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from Smith College and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. Aneesha is licensed in Michigan.
Advisory Committee Member
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Our Story
2020: Beginnings
Created based on direct client need and the demonstrated positive impact of library materials for detained migrants, we started Migrant Support Collective as Books for Migrants. Funding was dedicated to LGBTQIA+ migrants detained in the Midwest.
2021-2023: Expansion
We expanded our services to detained migrants of any sexual orientation or gender identity. We also gained enough funding to support detained migrants in any area of the United States, rather than solely the Midwest.
2024: Going Beyond
After operating informally as a mutual aid fund for a few years, the team decided it was time to seek a more formal status in order to have more sustainable funding and expand our programs and services.
In 2024, Books for Migrants changed our name to Migrant Support Collective in order to reflect the broadening scope of our programs and services. Now, we continue providing library materials, and we also plan to provide additional support for mental health, creative outlets, and community connection.
MSC Member