Thomas Rachko, Jr.

Thomas J. Rachko, Jr. (he/him) is a policy specialist, researcher, and advocate for human rights. In his current role as a policy implementation specialist at the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute and Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative, he works to translate academic research on immigrant communities into equitable policies. Thomas holds a master's degree in public administration from The George Washington University and is a graduate of the City University of New York's Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. Previously, he was a policy officer in the US Program at Human Rights Watch, focusing on criminal justice, drug policy, and immigration reform. Thomas has also worked in New York City government conducting research and analysis on police use of force policies and the opioid epidemic as a 2016 - 2017 New York City Urban Fellow. Thomas grew up in The Bronx, New York and is the grandson of Cuban political asylum seekers.