2025 Fall Fellow
Oviany Philizaire is a student at New York University pursuing a B.S. in English Education with a focus on public policy and law. She has interned at the Orange Municipal Courthouse, on a New Jersey gubernatorial election campaign, and participated in the UB Discover Law Scholars Program, gaining experience in law, policy, and civic engagement. Her passion for advocacy and education has guided her work in mentoring youth writers, researching chronic absenteeism in schools, and examining the relationship between immigration and U.S. policy. An active campus leader, Oviany serves on the executive boards of the Haitian American Students Association and the Caribbean Students Association, where she focuses on community engagement, cultural awareness, and policy initiatives. Her academic and professional pursuits reflect a commitment to immigrant rights, civic empowerment, and equitable access to legal and social resources.
Capstone Project
This policy brief examines the growing criminalization of migrants in the United States and its impact on civil rights, due process, and community trust. It highlights how immigration enforcement increasingly treats civil violations as criminal offenses and proposes several reforms to ensure humane and effective immigration policy.
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