Wafa Abdin was born in Amman, Jordan.  She moved to the United States in 1990 with her husband, Dr. Nabil Al Muhtaseb and her two children, Zaina and Saleh.  Because of her great contributions and advocacy for the civil rights of the Arab people in Houston, Ms. Abdin was elected to the Board of the Arab and Community Center (ACC) in 2004.   In 2011, she became President of the ACC and was also appointed to the Advisory Committee of the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC).  Ms. Abdin’s involvement with the ACC includes working with the Board of Directors to foster economic, cultural, social and political empowerment of Arab Americans. She is committed to working collaboratively with other Arab organizations to support the development of strong and effective Arab American community-based organizations in the areas of community development, youth empowerment, civic engagement, and immigrants’ rights advocacy.

Education

Wafa Abdin graduated from the University of Houston with a Juris Doctorate. She also holds a master’s degree from Lamar University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Jordan.

Professional Activities

Wafa Abdin began her career as an English teacher at a private school in Amman, Jordan. After moving to the United States, she was offered a fellowship to teach freshman English courses at Lamar University, while earning a master’s degree. Later, she changed her career path to pursue a law degree. After clerking for one year at a private law firm, Ms. Abdin was hired as a staff attorney and later as a legal director at Catholic Charities Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance. As the legal director, she manages Houston’s largest non-profit law firm that provides representation for low-income and indigent non-citizens in immigration legal matters. The caseload includes citizenship applications, family visa and adjustment of status applications, asylum and deportation cases for adults and unaccompanied minors, and Violence Against Women (VAWA) cases, U and T visas. Through her involvement in legislative and administrative advocacy, Ms. Abdin gives a voice to Houston’s vulnerable immigrant and refugee population, including victims of human trafficking and victims of other violent crimes. When Ms. Abdin joined the Cabrini Center in 2001, she was the only staff attorney. As a result of her vision, leadership and philanthropic achievements, the Cabrini Center has, since then, expanded to eight attorneys, five accredited representatives, one business manager, nine case workers, two support staff members and several law interns. Under her tenure, the Cabrini Center’s level of financial support increased from an annual budget of $450K to $1.5M in 2011, allowing the organization to expand its services.

In addition to her position as legal director, Ms. Abdin continues to organize events that broaden the Houston community’s awareness of Arab culture. Recently, she arranged for the Houston Grand Opera to perform at an ACC event, in commemoration of the tragic events of September 11. Being a strong believer of giving back to the community, she was also involved in collaborating with a martial arts school to sponsor refugee kids and give them the opportunity to attend summer camp. Furthermore, Ms. Abdin is a frequent lecturer at immigration conferences and provides training and mentorship to pro bono attorneys. She gives “Know Your Rights” presentations to the public, and has written several articles and papers on immigration law topics, including asylum, special registration, special immigrant juvenile status and “U” visas.

In recognition of her outstanding work, dedication and commitment to providing legal services to the underprivileged in Texas, Ms. Abdin was awarded the Chrys Dougherty ‘Legal Services’ award in 2010 by the Texas State Bar. She also received the University of Houston Law Center Public Interest Fellowship and Robert Rourke ‘Outstanding Graduate Student’ award from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Professional and Civic Organizations

Advisory Board of the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)
Palestinian American Cultural Center (PACC) – Detention Watch Network Steering Committee
The State Bar Officers of the Immigration Section – National Child Welfare Advisory Board
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) – Local and National Asylum Committee
Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) – Sheriff Adrian Garcia 287g Advisory Committee
American Bar Association Immigration Commission – Catholic Legal Immigration Network
Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (MACIRA)