BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Rochelle Garza on Thursday was announced as president of the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Garza is a fifth-generation Tejana and civil rights attorney from Brownsville. In 2022, she was also the Democratic nominee for Texas attorney general.
James Nortey, chairman of the TCRP Board, said he is happy to welcome Garza to serve the group’s efforts toward equality and justice in and out of the courts.
The Texas Civil Rights Project is nationally recognized for its civil rights litigation and advocacy for voting rights, immigration and criminal justice work.
“We have full confidence in both Rochelle and our deep bench of lawyers, advocates, and leaders who will continue to drive our success in this next chapter,” Nortey said.
Garza’s legal career has consisted of immigration, family, criminal and constitutional law.
The new TCRP president has a federal requirement named after her, called the “Garza Notice,” which requires that teens in immigration detention must be allowed access to abortion care.
This requirement came as a result of Garza’s role in a legal challenge in 2017 when she challenged Donald Trump, Ken Paxton, and Brett Kavanaugh in court for trying “to prevent an immigrant teen, Jane Doe, from exercising her right to choose — and won,” the TCRP stated.
“Texans’ civil rights and basic freedoms are under assault and those in power must be held accountable,” Garza said. “This fight is not new to TCRP and I’m honored and humbled to be the next president.”
Her first official day with the organization begins Feb. 1.
