For Rachel Bennion, advocating for immigrants isn’t just a professional goal—it’s a personal passion. Inspired by her great-grandfather’s experience as a young man immigrating alone from Denmark to the US, she now helps modern immigrants overcome challenges her grandfather couldn’t have imagined. Bennion, a senior attorney at a leading nongovernment organization, advocates for the rights of children who were separated from their parents at the US border. Each reunited family is a testament to the power of fervent advocacy and the resilience of those Bennion serves.
Bennion’s Spanish-speaking mission in Richmond, Virginia, opened her eyes to the challenges faced by immigrants. That spark followed her back to Provo, where Bennion volunteered at nonprofit Centro Hispano during her undergrad years at BYU. Her first job after completing her bachelor’s degree in English was as a community organizer for AmeriCorps with United Way of Utah County. This experience reinforced her passion for immigrant advocacy and pointed her toward BYU Marriott’s MPA program. “I wanted to work with amazing, brave, resilient immigrant families and help them succeed in the United States,” says Bennion.
She began the MPA program in 2010 with plans to use her degree to fundraise for Latino rights. But the mentorship of MPA professors such as Carl Hernandez and Aaron Miller helped her see how earning a law degree would amplify her impact. In addition to their influence, Bennion recalls, “I felt the Lord guiding me through my morning scripture study. Law school felt like the right thing to do.”
By the time she finished her schooling at BYU in 2015, she had earned “three degrees of glory,” she jokes—a BA, an MPA, and a JD.
With those degrees in hand, Bennion accepted a fellowship with Catholic Charities in San Francisco, where she worked mainly with children who had fled violence in Central America, helping them find stability and legal status in the US. Bennion soon moved to Catholic Charities in Washington, DC, to work with victims of domestic violence, help oversee the organization’s pro bono program, and mentor volunteer attorneys in humanitarian immigration cases.
Bennion’s colleagues felt like family in DC, and she wasn’t looking to leave her position. But she had a unique opportunity to help children displaced by the immigration policies of 2017 and 2018. “I remember watching with horror as family separations unfolded,” recalls Bennion. “Children were taken from their parents and placed in government custody or foster care, and parents were deported. Some of the parents I work with did not see their children for over four years due to this policy.”
Since 2021, Bennion has been part of a special team of attorneys that helps reunite immigrant families. Currently based near her Bay Area hometown of Los Altos, California, Bennion feels that her BYU Marriott education continues to be an asset. “My MPA focused on nonprofit management, measuring impact, and teamwork. That training has helped me in the work I do,” she notes.
That foundation has not only guided her career but has also deepened Bennion’s ability to serve. “I want immigrant students and alumni to know they’re not alone,” she says. “People are in their corner.”
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Written by Shanon Keeley
