Daniela Velez

Daniela Velez-Clucas joined Aparicio Immigration Law in 2026 as an associate attorney. Daniela’s practice focuses primarily on removal and deportation defense, asylum, humanitarian-based immigration, and family-based immigration. She has more than seven years of experience representing immigrants and survivors of persecution, trafficking, and violence, with a particular emphasis on trauma-informed legal advocacy.

Prior to joining our team, Daniela worked as an associate attorney at Hispanic American Legal Services, where she represented clients before immigration courts and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Her practice included asylum, cancellation of removal, T visas, U visas, VAWA petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, family petitions, adjustment of status, and provisional unlawful presence waivers. She also served as the reviewing attorney responsible for the final substantive review of cases prepared by the paralegal team.

Previously, Daniela served as a supervising attorney and staff attorney with the National Immigrant Justice Center’s Children’s Protection Project, representing immigrant children and families in complex immigration proceedings. She also worked at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, where she focused on the intersection of immigration law, healthcare access, and public benefits policy. Throughout her career, Daniela has collaborated closely with mental health providers, social workers, and community organizations to provide comprehensive legal representation to vulnerable populations.

Daniela received her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, where she served as Production Editor of the John Marshall Review of Intellectual Property Law. She earned bachelor’s degrees in English and International Studies from the State University of New York at Oneonta and studied abroad at the Institut Catholique de Paris. Before beginning her immigration practice, she coordinated restorative justice programming and trained law students in mediation and conflict resolution. She has also published articles on restorative justice and immigration policy.

Practice Areas:

• Removal and Deportation Defense
• Asylum & Refugee
• Humanitarian-Based Immigration
• Family-Based Immigration
• Citizenship and Naturalization
• Public Charge and Public Benefits

Languages:

• Fluent in English and Spanish

Education:

• J.D., University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, 2016
• B.A., English, State University of New York at Oneonta, 2013
• B.A., International Studies, State University of New York at Oneonta, 2013

Bar Admissions:

• State of Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• American Immigration Lawyers Association

• Chicago Bar Association

• Illinois State Bar Association