Omar de la Cruz

As a Staff Attorney at Centro Legal, Omar primarily works with detained individuals who are in removal proceedings before the Immigration Court. Prior to joining Centro Legal,  Omar gained experienced in working with clients seeking a range of immigration relief including asylum, u-visas, t-visas, and deferred action for childhood arrivals at California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation. Omar supported immigration legal services at The Lawyers’ Committee for Civils Rights of San Francisco where they honored Omar with its Outstanding Community Service Award in recognition for his advocacy for immigrant families.

During law school, Omar was a member and research assistant of the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic. and a research assistant for immigration law professors Amagda Perez and Leticia Saucedo. In these roles, Omar advocated for clients before the asylum office, worked on various immigration petitions focusing on family reunification, and helped advance efforts to create a California network of Latino lawyers, professors, and legislators. While attending UC Santa Barbara contributed to a range of local social issues; Omar guided underserved Latino students and families through college and financial aid applications, addressed affordable housing and climate change issues at Public Advocates, and interned at Oakland City Hall at the office of Councilman Noel Gallo.

A proud Fruitvale native, Omar focuses on immigration law given his experience as a son of Mexican immigrants in a diverse Oakland community. Omar holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the UC Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor from the UC Davis. He is a currently a board member of the UC Davis Immigration Clinic Alumni Council.