Deepa Iyer, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Race-Talk contributor

An advocate of civil and immigrant rights for ten years, Deepa Iyer is currently the Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). SAALT is the only staffed, national, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering civic and political engagement by South Asian communities in the United States. Ms. Iyer has overseen SAALT’s growth and visibility since 2004, and has spearheaded effective programs and strong partnerships around the country. In her tenure at SAALT, Ms. Iyer facilitated the development of a National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, a network of 35 community-based groups that have come together to articulate shared strategies for progressive policy change. She has also testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Immigration Subcommittee (2007), and was one of two representatives of the Asian American community invited to provide testimony before the Democratic Party’s Platform Drafting Committee (2008). An attorney by training, Ms. Iyer has served as Trial Attorney at the Office of Special Counsel for Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices within the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she investigated, litigated and settled employment discrimination complaints, and worked on policy matters related to racial profiling and immigration enforcement. In the wake of September 11, 2001, Ms. Iyer was one of four attorneys who spearheaded the Division’s Initiative to Combat Post 9/11 Discriminatory Backlash. Ms. Iyer has also worked as a Staff Attorney at the Asian American Justice Center and as Legal Director at the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center. Ms. Iyer is regarded as an expert on the impact of post 9/11 policies, especially as they intersect with civil liberties and immigration. She has published articles about the effect of such policies on South Asian communities, and is the Executive Producer of a 26-minute documentary about bias and hate crimes before and after 9/11. In addition, Ms. Iyer has served as adjunct faculty at Columbia University, Hunter College and the University of Maryland. She has been quoted in the Washington Post, National Public Radio, and in ethnic media. Ms. Iyer is an immigrant who moved to the United States from India when she was twelve years old. She lives with her husband, also a public interest attorney, in Takoma Park, Maryland. Ms. Iyer is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School (1997) and Vanderbilt University (1994).

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