Danielle Maggio
BA in History, (May 2023) MA in Human Rights Studies; Legislative Research for Unlock the Box (the national campaign to end solitary confinement) and Research Assistant for Don't Call the Police
Columbia University
dmm2268@columbia.edu
New York, NY, USA

Area of expertise: Abolition, human rights, queer health

Della Maggio is a Legislative Researcher with Unlock the Box - The National Campaign to End Solitary Confinement and a Research Assistant working alongside Don’t Call the Police. Graduating from Clemson University in May of 2021 with a BA degree in History, Della is currently pursuing a MA degree in Human Rights Studies at Columbia University. Her thesis research examines the relationship between access to (or lack thereof) gender-affirming care in immigration detention centers and the utilization of gender identity as asylum-seeking criteria. Applying concepts of political theory, questioning the rights claims that undergird queer asylum cases, and amplifying the narratives of those most marginalized in immigration detention and asylum proceedings, this research seeks to advocate for the abolition of immigration detention. Della plans to attend law school; she hopes to one day work as an immigration lawyer, working specifically with queer migrants in the Southeast United States.