Adriana Cadena, MPA

Adriana Cadena joined the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) campaign in early 2022 and has led the growth of the PIF campaign to a robust national coalition of over 650 member organizations at the intersection of immigration and public benefits working to increase and expand access for immigrant families. Adriana provides leadership on the coalition’s strategic programmatic direction, policy priorities, community engagement initiatives, coalition building, narrative building, and operations. Adriana drives PIF strategic planning with engagement from PIF’s Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and general membership. In addition, she is responsible for fundraising to achieve PIF’s vision, mission, and goals.

With over 20 years of experience in advancing the well-being of low-income immigrants through organizing, advocacy, and organizational leadership, Adriana grounds herself on the everyday challenges faced by her community on the U.S.-Mexico border and her own experience as an undocumented immigrant child growing up in a small Texas town.

Adriana’s career expands to working with prominent national organizations, including USAHello, the NALEO Educational Fund, and the Service Employees International Union, to local organizations on the U.S.-Mexico border. Adriana holds a bachelor’s in foreign service from Georgetown University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley.