Lizbeth (Castillejos) Abeln was born in Chiapas, Mexico. She was raised in Bloomington, CA and later moved to Orange County to pursue her Bachelors Degree in Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. Lizbeth has advocated for immigrant rights in higher education and also in her community, where she has served as the Southern Region Coordinator for the California Dream Network (CHIRLA) and as Research Assistant for research focused on the effects of immigrant detention and deportation. On her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exploring new cities, and attending music festivals.
As the Immigrant Detention Coordinator, Lizbeth will utilize her experience working personally with immigrant communities and give support to vulnerable immigrants and families who face detention and deportation proceedings. Emotional, financial, and Legal support are all crucial aspects to further immigrant justice. She plans to accomplish this through community engagement in the high desert and policy advocacy at a local and statewide level. Lizbeth believes that in order to achieve immigrant justice, we must end all expansion and efforts of institutions that criminalize immigrants and obstructs them from pursuing a decent life wherever they should migrate.