Meet the NM Dream Team
Meet the NM Dream Team

Eduardo Esquivel (He/Him/His)
Co-Director
Eduardo immigrated to Albuquerque, New Mexico with his parents at the age of seven from Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico. Growing up in the South Broadway neighborhood and graduating from Albuquerque High School he developed a strong sense of community that has been a driving force throughout his life. He studied biochemistry at the University of New Mexico and is also a student of Critical Race Theory. Eduardo has been with NMDT since 2015. He has worked on training and curriculum development with a focus around education equity and racial justice and now serves as Co-Director for the organization.

Felipe Rodriguez (He/Him/His)
Co-Director
Felipe was born and grew up next to the ocean in the beautiful port of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. He immigrated to the U.S. along with his family in search for security and opportunities. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s in Psychology. Felipe started organizing with the NM Dream Team in 2015 and immediately fell in love with the work of the organization. He believes in the power of community organizing, intersectionality, and activism to win the fight for immigrant rights and social justice.

Fernanda Banda (She/Her/Ella)
Campaigns Manager
Fernanda, from Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua Mexico, immigrated to Albuquerque, NM at the age of one alongside her mother and her older sister. Fernanda is undocumented and because of her residency status she became knowledgeable at a young age of her roots through literature and friendships, this compelled an appreciation of identity, liberation, and a passion for social justice. Through this work, she has developed a substantial interest in policy change and economic development using an intersectional, gender, and racial justice lens. She hopes to keep influencing policy making, educating decision-makers on immigrant issues, and proposing policy-based solutions.

Jovanny Hernandez (He/Him/His)
Southern Campaigns Organizer
Mi nombre es Jovanny Sebastián Hernández, tengo 21 años y estoy en mi último semestre de la universidad, donde estoy estudiando Ciencias Políticas con un enfoque en la Ley Pública. Hoy vivo en Las Cruces, pero originalmente soy de Hobbs, NM. Antes de mudarnos a Nuevo México en 2010, vivíamos en Kansas y Texas. Mí familia se mudó mucho debido a la naturaleza del trabajo de mi papá en las norias de aceite. Like many kids who grew up with immigrant parents, I grew up in a bilingual household. I am drawn to this work because of them, and because of where I live and have matured. To help in any way, those who struggle for a better life for themselves and their families, is my goal!

Michelle Murguia (She/Her/Ella)
Field Manager
Michelle is an undocumented young woman who came to the United States with her two younger siblings and her mother in 2010 pursuing the dream of having a better life without fear, with more opportunities, and a better future. Michelle started getting involved in the NM Dream Team when she was 15 years-old and found her passion helping her community and feeling fearless. Today Michelle is Field Manager for the NM Dream Team and organizes more young people to leave fear behind and fight for their voices, their dreams, their family and future generations.

Jocelyn Estephanie Barrera (She/Her/Ella)
Northern NM Field Organizer
Jocelyn was born in Guanajuato, Mexico But was raised in Michoacan Mexico until the age of four. In 2004 Jocelyn along with her two siblings and mother immigrated to the United States where she has lived since then. Jocelyn always lived in fear of possibly being ripped apart from her family throughout her middle school years and half of high school. Jocelyn became a part of the New Mexico Dream Team early 2018 were she found comfort in herself and around others with similar stories to hers. She is now the field organizer with the New Mexico Dream Team with a hope of being a resource to her immigrant community.

Jason Castro Murguia (He/Him/His)
Central NM Field Organizer
Jason is a 20 year-old young man who came to the United States with his two sisters and his mother in 2010 pursuing the dream of having a better life without fear, with more opportunities, and a better future. Jason started as a member of the Rio Grande Dream Team and eventually became the RGDT chapter lead. He got distance from organizing but his passion brought him back as ABQ Organizer.

Itzayana Banda (She/Her/Ella)
Communications Manager
Itzayana, from Santa Ana, Chihuahua, Mexico immigrated to Albuquerque, New Mexico at the age of 3 alongside her sister and mother. In December 2011 her father got deported and has not seen him since then. After graduating high school in 2013 her priority was finding a job to take care of her family but because of her legal status it was hard for her. After working for the 2020 Census GTOC campaign she saw the lack of information and how scared the community really is. It reminded her of herself and how afraid she was to even apply for a job. She got really interested in helping her community and letting them know they have rights, but most important that they are not alone.

Karen Campa (She/Her/Ella)
Digital Organizer
Karen is an undocumented woman of color living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She immigrated with her family from Ciudad Juarez in 2006 at the age of six. Karen started organizing for the community when she was 14 years old. She began her organizing journey with Young Women United, now known as Bold Futures- as part of a youth circle for young women of color. Through Young Women United she found out about the New Mexico Dream Team and she started to get involved with them in the Summer of 2018. Her role consists of making creative content that tells the stories of our community and making sure the NMDT brand is reflective of each unique experience of NMDT’s members across the state.

Janeth Antillon (She/Her/Ella)
Programs Manager
Janeth was Born in Cuauhtémoc Chihuahua Mexico. She immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old alongside her family. After living approximately four years of her life in AZ her family decided to move To New Mexico where it is currently home. Janeth was fortunate to qualify for DACA in 2012 when Obama was in administration. Janeth has been the Field Organizer of Northern New Mexico for the past four year and continues to work alongside NMDT as now the Programs Manager . She plans on continuing her work along NMDT to better help our undocumented families and liberate our communities from social oppression in New Mexico.

Cesar S. Lezama (He/Him/El)
Economic Justice Organizer
Cesar was born in Veracruz, Mexico. He moved to Albuquerque, NM at the age of 12 with his parents and his sister. He began attending school and eventually graduated from Manzano High School in 2018. He began pursuing his degree in music at the University of New Mexico, though he has since changed it into a degree in psychology. Because of his upbringing and status, Cesar has cultivated a strong empathy for marginalized groups and delved into literature and sociological theories to gain a stronger understanding of the inequities and injustices in the system. He remains an ally to all marginalized groups and hopes to one day see the liberation of all peoples through pertinent and sufficient social and legislative action.

Aailinn Martinez (She,Her,Ella)
UndocuHealing Organizer
Aailinn immigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was very little, therefore she has never known her home country. Aailinn feels very fortunate to have parents who have sacrificed leaving their homeland because of the dream they had for her and her siblings to have the opportunity to have a brighter future in the United States. She has seen her family struggle and knows what hard work is because of them. She wants to help people by becoming a social worker. Being part of the NMDT is learning how to be part of the change within the immigrant community. Learning the lesson that we need to come together as a community and organize, that is when change happens.

Andres Esquivel (He/Him/His)
Education Justice Organizer
Andres Esquivel was born in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and migrated to Albuquerque when he was two years old with his family. Esquivel grew up in the South Valley and graduated from Albuquerque High School in 2017. Esquivel graduated from UNM in Fall 2020 with a Bachelors in Political Science with a minor in Chicana/o Studies. Esquivel has been the Education Justice Organizer with the NM Dream Team since 2019. Besides social justice, he is also passionate about music and art.

Karina Tarango (She/Her/Ella)
Education Justice Organizer
My name is Karina and I was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico. After I turned one, my father, mother, older brother, and I migrated to Santa Fe, NM. For all of my early education, I was always very shy and would never share my status with my teachers unless I had to. Up until my senior year of high school, I realized the limited opportunities I had as an undocumented student. Discovering this was sad because all my parents hoped for me was to attend a higher education so that I may have a better job. Despite the financial struggles, during the Fall of 2020, I started attending the University of New Mexico majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Bilingual Education. My hope is to become a teacher in my community of Santa Fe and create a safe space for undocumented students like myself.

Victor Romero (He/Him/His)
UndocuQueer Organizer
Victor was born in the capital city of Chihuahua Mexico. His parents brought him to the United States when he was only two years old. Upon arriving in the United States, Victor and his family faced the same uncertainty that 11 million people in the US face as undocumented immigrants. Now, Victor is attending UNM pursuing a degree in political science and education. He aspires to use this knowledge to serve his community and change policies in the U.S. Alongside his passion of fighting for justice, Victor holds a strong passion for dance. From dance, he has learned valuable lessons that he brings into all aspects of his life: to work hard, to strive for excellence, and to believe in one’s self.

Erendira Navarro (Ella,She,Her)
Development & Operations Manager
Erendira nació en Gómez Palacio, Durango Mexico. Erendira estudio Técnico Laboratorista Industrial en México y un año de Universidad en la especialidad de Química en Alimentos. Trabajo en la Facultad de Zootecnista y Agricultura como encargada de Laboratorio, en los laboratorios de Tyson y en la Fábrica de Motores Renault. Erendira formó una familia en el año de 1985 de la cual tiene 3 hijos y a su compañero de vida Gerardo De Luna Rodriguez. Emigró a los Estados Unidos en el año 2005. Erendira formó su propio negocio de House Keeping y trabajo en el área de contabilidad en Morada Latina Erendira obtuvo su diploma Aztec Home Schooling. Erendira también se graduó del programa Public Ally donde aprendió a crecer como líder.