About Us
The work of MU involves two groups: The Core Team and Support Team.
The Core Team includes asylum seekers. Through weekly meetings they exchange information, provide mutual support, have time for critical thinking about systems-level issues, receive political education, and develop plans for collective action. Through monthly meetings, the core team identifies priorities for action.
The Support Team consists of immigrants, or children of immigrants, with no personal experience of digital surveillance or detention who are passionate about immigrant justice and developing best-practices in centering impacted communities in advocacy. The support team is responsible for coordinating and facilitating MU meetings, gathering resources, securing guest speakers/presenters, identifying relevant professional development for MU, grant writing, payment distribution, logistics, and documenting MU’s work.
MU’s Campaign 5 Demands
1) No more ankle monitors,
2) No more abuse by ISAP staff,
3) Return confiscated home country passports,
4) Allow free movement within the United States, and
5) No more loss of work hours.
The Team
Dr. Adriano Udani
Co-Creator of Migrantes Unidos
Dr. Adriano Udani (he/his), Co-Creator of Migrantes Unidos, is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the Public Policy Administration Program at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. Adriano also serves as the Research Advisor for the Community Innovation and Action Center (CIAC). As a political scientist, Adriano studies political attitudes toward immigrants and the policy decisions that affect them. He specializes in Civically Engaged Research, which aims to collaborate in racially equitable ways so people and groups beyond the academy can co-produce, share, and apply knowledge related to power and politics.
María Torres Wedding
Co-Creator of Migrantes Unidos
María Torres Wedding (she/her), MPH, Co-Creator of Migrantes Unidos, is deeply committed to interdisciplinary work that centers impacted community members in program planning, service delivery, and evaluation. Through her consultation services with Colibrí Consulting, she works directly with immigrant communities in organizing initiatives, and guides non-profits, funders, and academic institutions in their journey to develop more authentic, accountable, and responsive relationships with the communities they serve.
Valencia Alvarez
Community Engagement Specialist
Valencia Alvarez (she/her) is a second-generation Mexican American from Souther California. Valencia supports MU in all data management and evaluation efforts. She graduated from Grinnell College with a Bachelor’s in Biology and Latin American Studies; and from Washington University in St. Louis with a Master's in Public Health.