Karina J Ordonez

Ms. Ordóñez jump started her immigration law career while practicing in ASU’s Immigration Law and Policy Clinic where she was able to gain invaluable immigration application processes and trial experience, specifically for Special Juvenile Immigrant Status (SIJS) and Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA). In addition, Ms. Ordóñez externed for the Eloy Immigration Court and for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement both in the Eloy and Phoenix Office, where she worked on both detained and non-detained immigration cases on issues regarding Cancellation of Removal (for legal permanent residents, non-legal permanent residents, and battered spouses), Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Convention Against Torture, Adjustment of Status, Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA), and Bond Appeals. Handling immigration cases allowed Ms. Ordóñez to learn the intricacies of immigration legal and trial issues.

Aside from Immigration Law, Ms. Ordóñez gained valuable experience in criminal law through her externship with the Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joseph B. Heilman, where she provided extensive legal research and writing for a second degree murder case and various civil matters.

Ms. Ordóñez also participated in the Arizona State University, Post-Relief Conviction Clinic and the Arizona Justice Project where she worked on various DNA cases to exonerate wrongfully convicted to Ms. Ordóñez legal career she was the Assistant Director for Strategic Policy for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. In this capacity, she was the primary advisor to the deputy director in matters pertaining to national policy, lead the 2006 and 2007 State Homeland Security Federal Grant Applications receiving 20 million dollars and 51 million dollars respectively, ensured compliance with both state and federal laws, and served as the state agency liaison by building, managing, and reporting the yearly Homeland Security budget for 25 state agencies.

She also provided crisis communications by coordinated and lead logistics for press conferences, news releases, and media availability. Special projects in her portfolio include developing the State Homeland Security Strategy and the State Infrastructure Protection Plan. Her previous responsibilities as Southwest Border Specialist (2003-2005) included serving on various bi-national committees and implementing agreements between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico which focused on border security and first responder preparedness. She developed and implemented official procedures for bi-national coordinated efforts during a disaster (prevention, protection, response, and recovery).

Ms. Ordóñez worked for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and provided state lobbying efforts regarding predatory lending, contingency fees, budget and non-participating tobacco manufactures sales tax with 100% success rate. At the Arizona State Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts, Ms. Ordóñez externed and provided lobbying efforts for the Interstate Compact, Judge Pro-Temp, and abolished adoption fees.

She is bilingual in both Spanish and English. Ms. Ordóñez has traveled extensively throughout the world.