Contact the Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs
Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs
P.O. Box 94745
Seattle, WA 98124-4745
Tel: 206-233-3886
Fax: 206-684-5360
Email the Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs
Staff
Magdaleno Leno Rose-Avila, Director, Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs
Leno has spent most of his life as a civil and human rights activist. He has worked for the United Farm Workers Union, The Colorado Migrant Council, Amnesty International and numerous non profits. Leno served as a Peace Corps Country Director in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Micronesia. Also served as Executive Director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, the Social Justice Fund and the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation. He first became involved in immigrant and refugee issues in 1974.
Rose-Avila has received numerous awards for his community service. He has had his writings published in two books, Los Cuatro and Looking for My Wings and is currently working on two additional books.
Sahar Fathi, Policy Analyst
Prior to joining the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, Sahar Fathi served as a legislative aide to Councilmember O’Brien on the Seattle City Council. She was lead policy staff on a variety of issues including immigrant and refugee issues, homelessness, budget, public safety and Seattle City Light. Sahar Fathi has served as a legal clerk for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, an extern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, and a legal intern at the Attorney General’s Office of Washington. Sahar graduated from the University of Washington Law School and is a member of the New York bar. She also earned a Masters in International Studies from the University of Washington, and graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a dual Bachelor of Arts in French and International Relations. Additionally, Sahar attended the Sorbonne Université in Paris, France on exchange from 2003-2004 and received a diploma in International and European Law from the Université Jean-Moulin in Lyon, France in 2008. Sahar is a past president and co-founder of the Middle Eastern Legal Association of Washington, as well as the founder and current chair of its Legal Clinic. She is also a board member for the American Civil Liberties Union – Washington State Chapter, and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and travel.