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CIRA’s U/T/VAWA Team builds trust, expands partnerships to support survivors
August 5, 2026
Omaha, Neb. — Supporting survivors of trafficking and other crimes is about more than just showing up in a courtroom, according to Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement (CIRA) Lead Attorney Astrid Munn. It’s about building trust, showing up for clients and the legal team consistently, and helping people understand their options.
Munn leads the U/T/VAWA Team, which works with survivors of abuse or trafficking to navigate complex immigration legal systems while also leading the team in supporting one another through the complex challenges they experience in this line of work.
“It’s a lot of slow burn work, but you prove that it’s going to be okay through just consistency and showing up and building trust,” Munn said. “We’re not rescuing, we’re not saving. We’re helping clients get themselves out of domestic abuse situations.”
The clients this team works with are often facing incredibly complex and dangerous situations in which they must exhibit an immense amount of courage to not only step away from their abusers but also help in a criminal investigation while navigating the immigration system.
U Visa: A special U.S. nonimmigrant status that protects victims of certain crimes and are helpful in the investigation or prosecution of that crime.
T Visa: A temporary nonimmigrant status that enables survivors of trafficking to remain in the U.S. for up to four years.
VAWA: An immigration provision under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that allows survivors of domestic abuse by a U.S. citizen to petition for legal status without the abuser’s knowledge or consent.
Meet the Team
The team includes attorneys, a Department of Justice-accredited representative, a legal assistant, and a social worker, each bringing unique experience and expertise to the work.
Attorney Jodi Garrelts is known for bringing light to difficult situations. Before joining CIRA, Garrelts served in the Peace Corps in Mozambique, where she worked with people affected by HIV and AIDS. Her ability to find joy and maintain perspective helps the team navigate some of its most challenging days.
Attorney Olivia Thiel focuses on building connections beyond CIRA. She regularly looks for opportunities to partner with community organizations and advocates. One partnership she helped establish connects CIRA clients with a dental group that provides thousands of dollars in free dental care to immigrants and refugees. Thiel also volunteers her time as a mock trial judge for high school and college students.
DOJ Accredited Representative Claudia Islas has been with the U/T/VAWA Team longer than any other current team member. She brings years of experience to her work and generously shares her knowledge with colleagues. Islas has also played an important role in helping South Omaha residents understand their rights and connect with resources and services.
Legal Assistant Haylee Worm has served as an important bridge between CIRA and the Women’s Center for Advancement, helping clients transition to CIRA’s services with the support of a familiar and trusted face. Worm will soon leave the team to attend law school — a move her colleagues are both sad to see and excited to celebrate.
Legal Assistant and Social Worker Delsi Aldana brings experience from both the legal and social work fields. She helps the team maintain healthy boundaries, work sustainably, and respect clients’ agencies. When situations become difficult, Aldana encourages her colleagues to draw on their courage and recognize their own strengths.
The team listed some of Munn’s strengths: resourceful, fearless, luminous, insightful, honest, willing, a leader, authentic, dedicated, passionate, genuine and resilient.
The team’s work includes responding to crises and helping survivors navigate high tension interactions with government agencies. Over the years, the U/T/VAWA Team has developed relationships with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Homeland Security Investigations to better serve survivors of trafficking and other crimes.
The relationships with these agencies which investigate human trafficking allows the U/T/VAWA Team to receive referrals for individuals who may be eligible for immigration relief as survivors of trafficking. These relationships help ensure survivors are connected to legal services as early as possible so they can understand their legal options and make informed decisions about their future.
There have been several cases in which investigators will alert the team to a trafficking incident where Munn or one of her staff will immediately consult with the survivors about their rights and options moving forward. In just one trafficking case, the U/T/VAWA Team helped 10 people obtain legal status in the U.S.
Although the work is rewarding, Munn acknowledges it can also be emotionally demanding. That’s why the team is intentional about caring for each member’s mental health through celebrating accomplishments outside of work: like writing a play, adopting a dog, and running in a 5k. The team also organized its own book club where, members admit, the authors often receive a critical review.
“It’s so important to seek joy, especially in this line of work,” Legal Assistant and Social Worker Aldana said. “And one way our team does that is by supporting each other in our accomplishing our personal goals as well as our career goals.”
The team has found that supporting each other holistically means they can show up for their clients better.
They also make time to connect with other CIRA attorney teams by hosting “tea parties” to learn about their colleagues’ successes and challenges.
Looking ahead, the U/T/VAWA Team hopes to expand its impact in both CIRA and the wider community by opening avenues to new grants, deepening relationships with other CIRA departments and clients, and developing more partnerships with service organizations throughout Nebraska.
In 2022, Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center merged, and the combined nonprofit organization is now CIRA, the Center for Immigrant & Refugee Advancement. Our diverse team of experts provides exceptional, compassionate legal representation, refugee services, and social work services. We take on the most complex immigration cases, resettle refugees from around the world, and ensure all clients have access to resources they need to live. Operating in 6 different offices from Council Bluffs to Scottsbluff, our team of more than 100 full-time employees helps communities welcome immigrants and refugees as they build their lives here. We assist with all forms of family and humanitarian-based immigration, and we never turn any family away due to inability to pay.
To empower immigrants and refugees to live confidently through high-quality legal representation, resettlement, and social work and to create welcoming communities through education and advocacy.
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