CREATOR AND PRODUCER

Raquel Batista is a life-long New Yorker committed to working on legal and social justice issues impacting the communities of New York City and beyond.  Recently, she served as  NYC Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs in 2021. 

 

She had a social impact law and consulting practice (www.raquelbatista.nyc) and is an adjunct assistant professor at Manhattan College teaching Immigration Law, Policy and Politics. 

 

Ms. Batista's work has ranged from legal, policy to political realms.  Most recently, she was the Community Legal Fellow at CUNY Law School -CLRN, working with immigrant DV survivors.  In 2014, Ms. Batista worked for the NYC Mayor's Office of Appointments helping to identify Latinos and Latinas for various positions within New York City Government.   

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Ms. Batista is the former executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights.  She worked at the LatinoJustice (then Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund) on voting rights, redistricting and census issues impacting the Latino community in the North East, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  

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Ms. Batista served as an Adjunct Professor in Latin American and Puerto Rican Studies Department at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  She also was a board member of the New York Immigration Coalition, North Star Community Funding Board and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alumni Board.

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Ms. Batista was a co-founder of the Latina Political Action Committee.  She has been honored by El Diario La Prensa, New York State Senate and Dominican Women's Development Center.  In 2014, Ms. Batista was recognized by the CUNY PILA as Alumni of the Year.  

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Ms. Batista earned her JD from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College and her BA in Sociology,  from Manhattan College.