Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer is a senior policy analyst for Immigration at American Progress. Her family immigrated from Guanajuato, Mexico, and she grew up in East Los Angeles, California. At the age of 18, she was granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and has since become an advocate for a permanent immigration solution for all of America’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Prior to joining American Progress, Barrientos-Ferrer worked for the Southern Border Communities Coalition, a national coalition convened by Alliance San Diego that works toward border policies that expand public safety for all, protect human rights, and welcome people at U.S. borders. Before that, she worked at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). There, she held various roles, from leading CHIRLA’s campaign to protect DACA to organizing undocumented youth in Northern California to successfully fighting to secure more education resources through the expansion of A.B. 540 and the passage of state bills such as the Dream Loan Program and Dream Resource Liaison—all for undocumented students through the state.
Barrientos-Ferrer holds anassociate in artsin Chicanostudies andsocialbehavioralanalysis from East Los Angeles College and a BachelorofArts inethnicstudies andpoliticalscience fromCaliforniaState University, Sacramento.
The Trump Administration’s ICE and CBP Have Become a Threat to Americans: Congress Must Ensure That DHS Follows the Law and Adopts Commonsense Reforms
The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security is out of control, endangering the well-being and lives of Americans. DHS must follow the law and fulfill its role to enhance—not compromise—the security of Americans and the homeland.
The Trump Administration’s Hostility to Legal Immigration Harms America’s Global Leadership in Innovation
By targeting legal immigration, the United States is signaling to the best and brightest talent around the world that they are unwelcome, harming U.S. leadership in innovation that has strengthened the economy for all Americans.
Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act Creates an Unaccountable Slush Fund for the Trump Administration’s Deportation Force
The OBBBA pumps $75 billion into ICE with no guardrails, supercharging the Trump administration’s massive, indiscriminate deportation agenda that is operating without accountability and threatening local communities and economies.
CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Affecting Head Start Eligibility Criteria
The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the Health and Human Services Department opposing the agency’s unprecedented notice requiring Head Start programs to verify citizenship status in order for families to qualify for services.
10th Annual DACA Survey: 2024 Findings Reveal What’s at Stake for Recipients and the United States
The 10th annual DACA survey illustrates the positive contributions that DACA recipients have made to America and reveals the significant, widespread disruptions that would result from ending DACA, highlighting more than ever the need for congressional action to provide pathways to citizenship for recipients.
CAP’s Comment on the Department of Labor’s Proposed Regulation on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Notice in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings
The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the Department of Labor on the agency’s proposed rule to protect the rising number of workers who are exposed to extreme heat conditions that cause injury, illness, and death across the United States.
Extreme Heat Is More Dangerous for Workers Every Year
Federal and state governments should step up efforts—including adopting heat standards—to address increased on-the-job heat-related injury, illness, and death.
2023 Survey of DACA Recipients Highlights Economic Advancement, Continued Uncertainty Amid Legal Limbo
The ninth annual survey of DACA recipients illustrates DACA’s role in empowering individuals and communities while strengthening the U.S. economy and highlights the need for a pathway to citizenship.
Despite Barriers, DACA Entrepreneurs Contribute To Their Communities
DACA has empowered its recipients to pursue entrepreneurship and continue helping their families, their communities, and the U.S. economy in the face of significant barriers.
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