Amanda Schuft is the Director of Legal Services at ImmDef  where she oversees the Deported Veterans Program, the Post-Conviction Relief Project, the National Qualified Representatives Program, the Community Defense Program, and the Cross Border Initiative. Amanda is one of ImmDef’s founding members and was one of the first attorneys hired when ImmDef opened its doors. Throughout her time with ImmDef, Amanda has focused on the intersection of immigration and criminal law. She is an advocate for the expansion of pro bono representation in ICE detention facilities, which are often operated by private companies in rural areas.

Prior to working at ImmDef, Amanda represented unaccompanied children at Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project. Before law school, Amanda worked as a youth program coordinator in Portland for a housing development nonprofit, and as a fourth-grade teacher in Honduras. She is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College and the University of Oregon School of Law. Amanda is based in Portland, Oregon. She has been interviewed as an expert source for media outlets, including The Independent, NBC, and ABC.