Sonia is a fully bilingual (English/Spanish) attorney licensed in Mexico. Prior to coming to PIRE in 2007, she practiced immigration, civil and criminal law in Tijuana, Mexico. While working in Mexico, she worked for different government entities, the last as Subdirector of Immigration Control and Verification in the State of Baja California / Liaison to the United States Government.
Most recently for PIRE, Sonia coordinated with Mexico to set up a binational field research study related to alcohol use at local bars in Zacatecas. Previously, she was the Survey Manager for a team of interviewers to conduct roadside breathtest survey studies all across the United States. She has experience on a variety of other field studies that include implementing interventions with cross- border underage binge drinkers at the US/Mexico Border crossing, syringe access for people who inject drugs in California’s Central Valley, and drugged driving and safety belt studies.
Finally, she has translated survey instruments for PIRE from English to Spanish, worked with various agencies and organizations to collect data, and managed data sets.