Veronica Serrato


Veronica Serrato is an American immigration lawyer. She is a recipient of the Ohtli Award, the highest award given by the Mexican government to people serving Mexicans abroad.

Education and early life

Serrato was born in Chicago; her parents immigrated to the US from Moroleon, Guanajuato, Mexico. Serrato attended Harvard University for her undergraduate degree and Boston University School of Law for her J.D, graduating in 1988. She was the first in her family to attend college.

Career

Serrato was the founding executive director of Project Citizenship, a non-profit focused on helping legal permanent residents become American citizens. Under her leadership, 8,300 immigrants achieved US citizenship. According to Congresswoman Katherine Clark, it is the largest citizenship provider in New England. They are "unapologetically pro-immigrant."
In 2019, Project Citizenship and Ropes and Gray sued USCIS for their plan to remove fee waivers for the naturalization process.
Prior to Project Citizenship, Serrato served as a Senior Attorney at Volunteer Lawyers Project. She served as a Clinical Instructor and later, Domestic Violence Specialist, at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, where she handled domestic violence cases.

Awards and honors