Sarah Plastino spent two and a half years living in South and Central America and near the Mexico/U.S. border. During that time, she worked hand in hand with immigrants and refugees, gaining invaluable knowledge that has shaped her career. As a human rights lawyer and advocate with more than 15 years of experience, Plastino has defended the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers across the U.S. and abroad.
Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Plastino has called Denver home since 2017. In Colorado, she spent four years providing free legal representation to low-income immigrants who were detained and facing deportation in the Aurora Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. She also led in the effort to expand immigrant legal representation across the state. Plastino served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition affiliate CIRC Action Fund, and as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
In 2021, Plastino started her own consulting firm offering legal and policy expertise to immigrant rights organizations such as the Tahirih Justice Center, Afghan Asylum Project, and the American Immigration Council.
Plastino was a 2022-2023 CiviCO Governor’s Fellow and was named in the 2023 40 Under 40 LGBT Business Leaders by the Colorado LGBT Chamber of Commerce.