Leezia Dhalla is a communications strategist, public speaker and recovering journalist who brings over ten years of media relations experience to Define American. She is passionate about humanizing the immigrant experience through storytelling and cultivating a human-centered approach to political problem-solving.
Prior to joining Define American, Leezia was Press Director at FWD.us, a bipartisan advocacy organization championing comprehensive immigration reform. She was also a staff writer for the San Antonio Express-News, her hometown newspaper, and has published bylines in The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, Houston Chronicle, Allure, and SELF Magazine, among other national outlets.
Leezia has appeared on major cable news networks to give commentary on federal and state immigration policy, from MSNBC Live to ABC News. She is also regularly quoted in major international and national media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, POLITICO, The Guardian (UK), National Post (Canada) and more.
Leezia has won a Grammy Award and given several TED talks on her experiences as a (formerly) undocumented immigrant. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and Political Science.