<div>Sophia Gurulé, a deeply respected immigration attorney and dedicated leader within <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bxdunion" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bronx Defenders Union</a> (BxD Union) and the <a href="https://alaa.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Association for Legal Advocates and Attorneys</a>  (ALAA), was unjustly terminated by The Bronx Defenders (BxD) on June 27, 2025. Prior to being placed on suspension pending investigation and ultimately fired, Sophia had never been disciplined in her nearly eight years at BxD. Her performance evaluations consistently described her as an “outstanding attorney” “exceeding expectations” with “a lot of experience that the [Immigration] Practice could learn from.” This glowing feedback is unsurprising: Sophia’s steadfast, creative approach to immigration work within and beyond BxD has long been characterized by a commitment to coupling direct client representation with organizing and advocacy. In her role as Immigration Policy Counsel at BxD—from which she was laid off in October 2024, a month before Trump won the presidential election—she pushed for legislative, budgetary, and other executive policy changes to end the arrest, detention, and deportation of immigrant New Yorkers. 

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<div>BxD’s sudden termination of Sophia is blatant union-busting, intended to weaken BxD Union by targeting and firing a senior staff member and union leader. Since The Bronx Defenders first unionized amidst the 2020 uprisings, Sophia has held multiple union roles: a member of the first BxD Union bargaining committee (2020-2022), BxD Union VP of Membership (2023), a member of the BxD Union’s second bargaining committee (2024), and ALAA-UAW Local 2325 Trustee and BxD Union Executive Board member (2024-2025). In response to BxD’s unjust suspension and eventual termination of Sophia, BxD Union filed a grievance, charges against BxD with the NLRB, and delivered to BxD Executive Management multiple letters of support from rank-and-file workers at BxD, as well as petitions signed by nearly 1,000 workers calling on BxD to reinstate Sophia, because an injury to one is an injury to all. 

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<div>Sophia is headed to arbitration sometime in the next few months—likely not sooner than mid-October, as BxD has delayed scheduling arbitration. With the support of her union, Sophia will continue to fight this retaliatory termination. But it will be a long fight, and she has bills and living expenses to cover in the meantime. As Sophia’s friends and comrades, we’re asking that the many folks whose lives have been touched by Sophia’s fierce organizing contribute to this fundraiser and help her stay afloat as she navigates this unstable and uncertain period.

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<div>You can learn more about BxD’s targeting of Sophia and her unjust suspension and termination <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OV9VyyrBi-jWS_bSb-eDFBPPNJhLxc0tW0edVvP1Esg/edit?usp=drivesdk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLSQXinMYEx/?igsh=dHJveGZzbXVrM2N1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> , and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLgKoBVy1B_/?img_index=1&amp;igsh=ZGx3OGN5czRpam53" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> .

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Anonymous

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