Jahaira Pacheco honored for immigration policy research
Born and raised in Bakersfield to Mexican immigrant parents, Jahaira Pacheco's personal experiences have fueled her passion for immigration studies and community engagement.
The UC Irvine criminology, law and society Ph.D. student’s journey into immigration research began during her undergraduate years when she worked on a project examining the effects of family separation on deported Salvadoran fathers.
“What piqued my interest in immigration law was the conditional acceptance of immigrants and their families in the U.S.,” Pacheco explains. “I couldn't wrap my head around how individuals who contribute so much, often through laborious, undervalued labor, could be so mistreated by the very country they help sustain.”
Before starting her doctoral studies, Pacheco gained valuable experience working at the United Farm Workers Foundation from 2020 to 2022. The role exposed her to the challenges immigrants face in navigating complex legal processes and accessing basic services.
“I started as an intake worker during the pandemic, helping immigrants in California apply for the state-funded Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants,” Pacheco recalls. “Speaking with immigrant community members on a regular basis, I became aware of the various structural and social barriers that prevented them from accessing basic needs and services. In 2021, I joined the legal services department as a legal assistant for the Removal Defense Project. This experience also enhanced my understanding of the immigration system as a multifaceted legal system, shaped by law and policy, bureaucracy, and power.”
Today, Pacheco is involved in several research projects aimed at effecting change in immigration policies and practices. She is collaborating with the Orange County Rapid Response Network to help community members at risk of deportation prepare necessary documents in advance.
The 25-year-old Irvine resident also is working with her mentor Susan Bibler Coutin, professor of criminology, law and society, on a Haynes Foundation research and action planning grant to develop a study of immigrant communities' engagement with city-level processes.
Pacheco's commitment to bridging the gap between community activism and academic research has earned her several accolades, including 2025 UC Irvine Latine Excellence and Achievement Awards Dinner (LEAD) honors, 2025 School of Social Ecology Community-Engaged Research Pilot Grant, 2024 CLS Arnold Binder Award and a Social Ecology Mentoring Award.
“Throughout her studies, Jahaira has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Latinx community, as evidenced by her research accomplishments, high level of community engagement, and leadership roles,” Coutin says, adding praise for Pacheo’s dissertation research.
Pacheco’s focus is on examining how U.S. immigration law separates families through deportation and through bars preventing those who have lived in the United States without legal status from regularizing their presence through a family petition.
As the daughter of immigrants, Pacheco brings a unique perspective to her work.
“I was raised to be proud of my family's traditions and culture,” she shares. “A core memory of my childhood is teaching my parents how to speak English.”
Looking ahead, Pacheco, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminology, law and society with a minor in psychological science from UCI, expects to complete her Ph.D. in 2028. Then, she plans to obtain a faculty position at an institution that supports community-engaged scholars.
Meanwhile, her dedication to empowering immigrant communities through research and education continues to drive her academic pursuits and community involvement at UCI.
“Jahaira is truly an outstanding representative of the School of Social Ecology and is highly deserving of recognition,” Coutin says.
— Mimi Ko Cruz