Aradhana Tiwari

Senior Policy Counsel
Aradhana joined the Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative (SJI) after representing detained and non-detained immigrants facing deportation for nearly a decade. Aradhana began her legal career working as an immigration attorney for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) in 2014. Most recently she served as the Associate Director of the Deportation Defense Program at Dolores Street Community Services (DSCS). In 2018, through DSCS, Aradhana spearheaded a specialized project which provided direct legal services to survivors in conjunction with increasing education, outreach and technical capacity to serve immigrant survivors of human trafficking (survivors). 

Through this undertaking, Aradhana helped to refine the screening process and increase identification of survivors at local public defender offices, the San Francisco Immigration Court, within faith-based groups and worker centers, at other non-legal and legal aid organizations as well as at detention and prison facilities in Northern California. These anti-trafficking efforts have been complemented and supported by abolitionist and immigrant rights’ groups throughout California.  

Informed by survivor leaders and her own work in direct services, Aradhana will work at the regional and California state level to advance policies which prevent trafficking, advocate for systemic change that de-criminalizes and supports survivors, and promote legal action which holds institutions accountable when they profit from the exploitation and abuse of marginalized communities.